


The Doctor's Journey

by garion1500



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Journey (Video Game 2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-06-03 17:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 43,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19468768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/garion1500/pseuds/garion1500
Summary: The Doctor and Rose find themselves swept up in a journey of exploration and discovery alongside a mysterious cloaked traveler who speaks in musical tones. Join them as they travel from the hottest desert to the snow-capped twin peak of Jenova to learn the secrets of the Mountain that calls to their latest companion.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a crossover between David Tennant’s Doctor with Rose as a companion and the PS3 game Journey. The timeline is any point after Rose becomes the Bad Wolf for the first time.

The tepid wind blew across the vast desert, causing the dunes to slowly ripple in an almost serpentine manner as the brilliant and harsh sun shone overhead, creating ripples in the air. Off in the distance, uncountable miles away, sat an impossibly high and lonely mountain, its peak cleft in twain from which emitted a powerful beam of light that stretched into the stratosphere, the sight catching the eye of any who could see. The lone figure stood silently atop the small dune, its eyes intent on the colossal landmark that seemed to call to it. Nearby, a duo of tattered and dusty flags attached to a pair of stone markers fluttered ceaselessly in the ever-present wind. Glancing back at them for a brief moment of consideration, the cloaked traveler leapt forward, its lean but powerful legs allowing it to slide down the sand dune with ease, cutting a shallow trough in the sand until it reached the bottom with a smooth glide. Before its eyes stood a large field of markers similar to the ones atop the dune. Each one a slim rectangular slab of grey stone inscribed with vertical glyphs. The top of each marker was wedged on both corners with a six-sided hole cut from the center. The figure slowly made its way through the somber field filled with dozens of such stones, many leaning slightly though they managed to stay upright. At the end of the field there stood a tall platform easily 12 feet high with a broken staircase in front of it. Ascending the stairs with nimble leaps the figure came upon a statue that fanned from the broken top to its bottom as if the point of a triangle had been snapped off near its highest point. Above the statue floated several small and rectangular pieces of cloth that drifted in lazy circles, seemingly unaffected by the desert breeze, each one the same blood red color as the figure’s cloak and inscribed with various glyphs. Before the statue floated a glowing ball of golden light that seemed to spin and writhe slowly. Peering closer at the strange sight, the figure noticed the light seemed to form a glyph within it similar to the ones presented on the markers behind him and the pieces of cloth above. The figure slowly walked towards the ball when suddenly it flared. Small bolts of light streamed from it, circling about the figure and causing it to be surrounded by the brilliant motes. Surprised but strangely unafraid, it turned its head to see what the light was doing behind it. Suddenly the motes coalesced around the rear edge of the traveler’s hood at its neck and knitted itself together into a small rectangle. The glow began to fade as energy transformed into matter leaving behind a small scarf attached to the edge of the traveler’s hood. The scarf was the same color as the cloak and covered with several small glyphs of silvery white between a pair of gold bars that edged the material. 

Puzzled by this strange behavior on the part of the energy ball but unable to determine the reason for its incorporation into the cloak, the figure moved closer to the spinning pieces of cloth. Though they swirled around the cloaked figure briefly they soon returned to their original positions. Shrugging, the figure leapt off the edge of the high structure. Spreading its cloak wide, it glided gently towards the sand, landing with barely a sound as its legs cushioned the impact. Standing from its crouch the traveler continued to make its way through the barren landscape, dotted by more markers. The strange and slightly macabre pathway soon gave way to a large depression several hundred feet wide within which stood several large structures with a platform in the center. Its curiosity sparked, the traveler began to slide down the steep side of the depression at a brisk pace, leaving a trail behind it.

Several hundred meters away, near the sunken remains of another building, a strange grinding noise was heard. Wind swirled around the source of the unnatural sound as a strange blue box with a glowing lantern on the top materialized into existence with a solid thud. The pair of doors on the front of the box opened a moment later revealing a man and a young woman. The pale young man appeared to be in his mid-thirties and was dressed in a light blue button down shirt with a dark blue tie over which he wore a striped brown jacket and matching pants. Over his shoulder he held a dark brown long coat and on his feet were a pair of trainers. His face was rounded and his brown hair spikey and wild. His face was expressive and almost child-like though his eyes paradoxically held deep and ancient wisdom. His companion was perhaps ten years younger with long blonde hair, a heart-shaped face and soft eyes. Her figure was slim but athletic and well-proportioned. She wore a white blouse and a pair of slim blue jeans with trainers as well. The man gazed up at the hot sun, covering his eyes with his hand before turning to his companion with a smile on his face as they stepped out of the box, shutting the doors behind them.

“Do you have any idea where we are?” She asked curiously, her face a picture of amusement.

“Not a clue Rose!” The man replied happily. “What say we find out?”

“And how do we do that Doctor?” She asked, raising a slim eyebrow and looking around. “Not much here except sand, sand, and more sand.”

“That looks like a good place to start.” The Doctor suggested, pointing towards the mostly covered building nearby. “Shall we?”

“Something tells me I’ll need bottle of SPF 5000 sunblock to keep from burning alive.” Rose mused as they marched towards the building.

“Not a bad idea, actually, considering the amount of radiation that sun’s giving off.” The Doctor remarked causally. “Not that I need it but it would do you some good. Why not slather some on and come back in a bit while I check out the building?”

“Try not to get in trouble while I’m gone, yeah?” She suggested.

The Doctor looked at her with a slightly hurt expression. “It’s only been a minute or two!”

“New record for you.” She teased, sticking the tip of her tongue out at the Doctor before skipping back to the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor to fume briefly before shaking his head in amusement. Turning back to the red and brown building nearby he quickly crossed the sand to step through a large hole in the side of the building. Taking a moment to enjoy the slightly cooler shade the building provided he quickly looked around. The right side of the room was filled with sand to the ceiling and before him sat a curiously square blank patch of wall surrounded by a tiered stone frame. On either side of the blank area stood a pair of stone markers. The far left of the rectangular room opened to the desert. Withdrawing his sonic screwdriver from his pocket the Doctor crouched next to one of the markers, examining the glyphs with a puzzled frown.

“Interesting!” He murmured as he tapped the stone block with a finger before scrapping a bit off with his fingernail and stuck it in his mouth.

“Not any type of stone I’m familiar with and I’m very familiar with lots of them.” He muttered to himself. 

His curiosity peaked he activated the screwdriver before running it over the face of the marker. Switching to a few different frequencies he proceeded to scan them more in-depth before suddenly the hole at the top of the marker began to glow faintly. Blinking in surprise, the Doctor grinned in excitement before adjusting the settings on the device further. The buzzing changed in pitch and frequency several times and while the marker seemed to glow a bit brighter it did not change dramatically. Finally the Doctor stood, scratching his head in puzzlement as he gazed at the offending marker that dared to withhold secrets from him.

“What exactly are you?” He murmured softly, his gaze boring holes into the object.

Suddenly his ears picked up the sound of sand being scuffed nearby. Smiling a bit he continued to ponder the mystery before him before a familiar voice spoke up behind him.

“Only you would find a blank wall fascinating.” Rose teased.

The Doctor smiled at the gentle jab before tapping the blank area. “It’s not blank, or at least it’s not supposed to be. This area was carved into the stone of this building and frame around it. These stones below it were placed there specifically for a purpose. One of them started glowing when I used my screwdriver on it. That’s a lot of work for a purposeless blank wall. No…this wall means something if I can just figure out what.” He drawled as his gaze travelled across the expanse.

Rose knelt down next to the slightly glowing stone and rested a hand on it. “So what is this thing anyway?” She asked.

Suddenly the marker began to glow brighter and the hole in the center became filled with a softly glowing glyph.

Rose gasped in surprise and quickly removed her hand, causing the light and the glyph to fade.

The Doctor quickly knelt down next to her, his eyes flicking over the stone’s surface as he ran the head of his screwdriver quickly over the face of it. 

“Amazing! This stone was emitting some kind of exotic energy!” He exclaimed. “I couldn’t get enough of a reading to figure out what, though.” He admitted ruefully. “What did you do?” He asked Rose. 

Rose shrugged. “All I did was put my hand on it. Maybe I pressed a hidden button or something.”

The Doctor quickly ran his hands over the surface and sides of the marker. “Nooo….nothing hidden.” He mused. “Still…”

Suddenly the marker began to glow gently again. 

“Oohh! What do we have here?” The Doctor said encouragingly as he examined the glyph in the middle of the hole as it appeared. “Some form of language obviously. Can’t quite make it out though.” He said, frowning a bit. “TARDIS translator can’t get it quite right, like a thought on the tip of the tongue. Still! It’s a start!”

“Start of what?” Rose asked.

“Adventure, Rose Tyler! Adventure!” The Doctor cried, springing to his feet, making the girl step back a pace or two. “Now, let’s see if we can make these others behave as well! You talk to the stones and give ‘em a nice rub down while I take a few readings! Lovely time for all!”

Rose laughed at the absurdity of the Doctor’s comments before moving to one of the other markers. “I can’t say I’ve ever talked nicely to a rock before, never mind given one a massage.”

“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t!” The Doctor remarked with a grin and he ran his screwdriver over the glowing stone. “Never know what might happen!”

Rose rolled her eyes at the thought before running her palms over the next marker. “Will you be a good little rock and glow for me?” She asked it with a smile.

As if on command the stone began to glow with gentle white light, a new glyph appearing in the central hole.

“Oy! What do you know, it works!” Rose called over to the Doctor.

“Didn’t I tell you?” He grinned back at her before examining his own marker. “Funny this…It’s not normal electromagnetic radiation even though it emits visible light. Seems to be coming from the glyph rather than the stone itself…”

Rose had managed to convince two of the other markers to light up before coming to the third. “If I’d know I could make rocks glow just by talking to them I would have done it a long time ago.” She joked.

The Doctor smirked. “Makes you want to take one home doesn’t it?”

Rose snickered as she rested her hands on the last marker. “Miles better than a normal pet rock I have to say.”

“Think I had one of those once.” The Doctor remarked with a twinkle in his eye. “Poor thing up and died on me.”

Rose laughed as the last marker lit up with another glyph in the center. Suddenly the blank wall above them blazed with golden light.

“Oh ho! Now we’re getting somewhere!” The Doctor exclaimed happily as they both stood back.

The square in the center of the frame glowed brightly before fading away, revealing a mural beneath it as the light from the markers faded.

“Rose, see if you can make the stones glow again while I look at this.” He suggested as he moved close to the scene displayed in stone. 

The wall before him now displayed a grid of what appeared to be wedge shaped figures in white lying on their sides with stones that looks remarkably like the markers sitting upright next to their heads. Above each figure was inscribed a unique glyph.

The Doctor ran his fingers lightly over the carvings as he gazed up at them. “So that’s what you are.” He murmured. “Remembrance.”

“Doctor, I can’t get them to light up again.” Rose told him.

The Doctor glanced over at her before waving a hand negligently. “Doesn’t matter. We found what their purpose was.” He stated, his voice somewhat sober.

“What is it?” Rose asked, looking at him in concern.

“A memorial for the dead.” The Doctor stated with a hint of sadness on his face. “Whoever made this wall didn’t want it to fade in time. They knew the desert would erode it away so they made it like this to keep it fresh centuries or even millennia later. The stones seem to be power sources and activators to uncover it but only if someone took the time to examine them carefully, most likely. They wanted to make sure these people’s memories were preserved for history.”

“So these glyphs…” Rose started.

“Names.” The Doctor stated. “And very complicated ones I’d say, since the TARDIS translator can’t make it intelligible.”

“There’s lot of those markers outside.” Rose mentioned uneasily. “Does that mean…”

The Doctor nodded soberly. “We’re in the middle of a graveyard.”

* * *

The traveler slowly wandered around the edge of the depression, a circle of buildings surrounding it. The tall structures were colored in rust red and tan with stylized metal grilles covering the windows. In front of each of the buildings, above a pair of steps partially covered by sand, stood massive grills acting as a barrier with no obvious means of unlocking them. Unperturbed, the cloaked traveler continued to examine its surroundings. Moving towards the center of the area, smaller cock-eyed pillars stood, some containing more cloth pieces in a kind of ironwork cage while on top of another sat another glowing ball with a glyph in its center. Moving closer to the pillar with the ball of light, the cloaked traveler instinctively leapt towards the top. Suddenly the glyphs on its scarf light up brightly and the traveler felt an unseen force lift it higher into the air. Surprised and quite excited at this discovery the figure landed adroitly on top of the pillar. Glancing back at the scarf, he noted that some of the symbols had gone from silvery white to dull red, almost perfectly blending in with the color of the scarf itself. Making a mental note of this change, it turned to face the symbol of light floating before it. Like the one before it, light flashed from the orb, encircling the traveler with golden motes that attached to the rear of its scarf, this time increasing the overall length slightly and turning the red symbols back into silvery white. Pondering this new development for a moment, the figure then turned to the larger and partially broken large platform in the center nearby.

* * *

The Doctor and Rose slowly made their way towards the large basin filled with ancient buildings.

“Who do you think these people were Doctor?” Rose asked idly.

“Not a clue.” He admitted casually, his hands in his pockets. “The Time Lords didn’t keep track of every single planet in the universe. Just the important ones to make sure that history didn’t get all gnarled up when the various races discovered time travel. Maybe—“

“Hey! Look!” Rose cried, pointing to the large platform in the middle of the basin. 

Squinting against the sun’s glare, the Doctor could see a small figure in red climbing the broken sections that made a crude form of staircase to the top where four tapestries waved in the breeze.

“Splendid!” The Doctor grinned. “Come on Rose, let’s go say hello!”

“We’re not going to get arrested again are we?” She asked plaintively as they began to quickly make their way down into the hole. 

“Oh come on Rose!” The Doctor chided gently. “Look around! These buildings have been abandoned for centuries! There’s no one living here!”

“Except him.” She pointed out pragmatically.

“Well…maybe he just wandered in here and got lost?” He suggested.

“Right, and I don’t have sand in unmentionable places.” She grumbled lightly.

“Well that’s lucky for you ‘cause I do.” The Doctor jibbed back. “Ruddy sand’ll take a week to get out. Still, no worries! That’s what pools are for!”

Rose chuckled as they reached the bottom and quickly made their way towards the center.

“Oy, you notice the pretty flying things?” She asked, gesturing off to the side where, above a smaller column, a small group of cloth pieces circled lazily.

“Yup and don’t ask me what they are cause I don’t have a clue. Yet!” The Doctor stated with a fierce grin. “Fancy looking things though. Wonder how they stay like that? Maybe our new friend will be able to tell us?” He suggested as they began climbing the crude staircase.

The Doctor quickly reached the top. In the center of the platform was a large square area covered with a metal grill under which a flock of cloths moved about. At each corner of the square sat a dusty and wrinkled tapestry blowing in the breeze with something under the grill holding them in place. At the end of the platform sat the broken remains of a stone bridge that appeared to connect the platform to a large landing ahead of them, upon which rested a statue along with several more markers. In front of him stood the figure they had spied with its back turned to them. 

“Hallo!” The Doctor called out.

The cloaked figure before him spun around seemingly shocked at his appearance as Rose made her way to the top as well. Walking over to the Doctor, the girl blinked at the figure’s strange appearance. The person seemed to be humanoid and covered in a blood red cloak with gold trim that ran from the top of its head to half way down its legs. The top of the creature’s hood terminated in two points making it appear as though it possessed feline-like ears beneath it and its face was covered in a black, expressionless mask. A single gold band ran across its forehead and its eyes were pure white and glowing softly. Upon what appeared to be its chest shone a glyph of white light. The figure’s legs were slim but muscular and ended in small points. Overall, the figure looked like it was wearing a stylish burka robe and face mask.

The creature looked back and forth between them before suddenly emitting a series of soft chirping sounds. To Rose it was as if the creature were playing notes using an invisible flute, the chirps sounding melodic in nature as they flitted up and down the musical scale.

The Doctor gazed at the figure in surprise before grinning. “Oh that’s marvelous! Really marvelous! What a beautiful voice you have! I wish I could sing like that! Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce myself! I’m the Doctor and this is Rose!” He said, gesturing first to himself and then Rose.

The creature cocked its head, seemingly in confusion before emitting another series of chirps.

Rose looked at the Doctor in confusion. “I don’t think it understands you. I certainly can’t understand it.”

“Nooo…” The Doctor mused, frowning slightly. “No, you can’t can you…Strangely enough neither can I…”

Suddenly the figure crouched before crying out with a loud tone that sounded as if an entire orchestra had played a single powerful note in harmony with multiple instruments, the force of the shout enough to make it leap into the air and spin around. The pair of them staggered as the sound hit them with the force of a quick blast of wind.

“Doctor, what’s going on? What was that?” Rose asked urgently as the Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and began fiddling with it, causing various sounds began to emit from the tip of the screwdriver. 

“I’m hazarding that’s its way of saying hello, though I could be wrong.” He said quickly. “This is going be tricky but I love a challenge!” The Doctor muttered intently. “Just hang on a tick!”

More sounds came from the screwdriver as the Doctor frowned in concentration, changing the various settings on the device. Finally he pulled the TARDIS key from his pocket and pressed it against the tip of the screwdriver. “This is a seriously primitive way of doing things and it’s probably going to make us talk in gibberish but it’s the best I can do at the moment.” The Doctor muttered to the figure before them. “Let’s see if this works.”

Saying this, the Doctor activated the device. Unlike its usual buzzing noise the screwdriver began to send out a series of warbles and sounds like a faint string quartet. The TARDIS key in his hand began to glow with soft golden light as it resonated with the sound being produced. Suddenly the sounds became much more refined, becoming a simple flat musical chord. 

“Hello, I’m the Doctor.” The Time Lord smiled, making the chord change in pitch as he spoke. “Who might you be?”

The figure stared at them for another moment before letting loose another blast of sound like before. Suddenly Rose staggered not from the force of the sound but from the blast of information that suddenly filled her mind. She gasped in shock and awe as she felt _understanding_ encompass her on a level she had never experienced before. As her knees threatened to give way from the overflow of information she felt the Doctor’s hand steady her.

“Easy, easy.” He muttered. “It’s a lot to take in, I know, but you can manage it. Just let your brain do its thing instinctively. Don’t try to pigeon-hole things. Just let the knowledge flow and find the right place to fit in.”

Rose closed her eyes as she felt the vast amount of alien information slowly sift its way into her mind until she was finally able to open her eyes again. While her brain felt full she was no longer in danger of falling on her butt. Taking a cleansing breath she looked up at the Doctor who smiled at her.

“What was that?” She asked in amazement.

“That, Rose, was the soul of a soul.” The Doctor said with a gently reverent tone. “All that noise, that’s why the TARDIS couldn’t translate it. It’s not just a language, its identity at its most basic level. This charming individual just shared who it was in its entirety with us. Everything that makes it unique, everything that it is, it gave to us just now. We just couldn’t grasp it.”

“I still don’t. Not really.” Rose admitted, looking a bit shell-shocked. “I can feel it all in my head but it’s…vague. Like emotions and ideas all swimming about in my head.”

The Doctor nodded. “It’s a bit clearer for me but the translator combined with the screwdriver can only do so much. It’s like trying to listen and understand an orchestra through a tin can phone. Still, I think we can get simpler concepts more clearly.”

  
He then turned to the creature that still stood there silently, watching the exchange. Keeping the active screwdriver pressed against the glowing key, he spoke. “We could only understand a little of that. We’re not like you. We can’t communicate so completely. Can you try using simpler concepts or ideas?”

The creature cocked its head again before letting out a series of simpler melodic chirps.

~[ _Understanding/comprehension_ ] of my [ _speech/expressions_ ], now?~ A sexless and high-pitched voice asked, seemingly emanating in the air between them.

The Doctor grinned. “Oh yes we can understand you! Much better! I’m the Doctor and this is Rose.”

~You are [ _strange/alien/unknown_ ].~

The Doctor nodded, un-phased by the observation. “Well, not all of us can have such an amazing sense of fashion as you obviously do. Where did you find such a lovely cloak?”

~[ _Incomprehension/confusion_ ]~ The traveler warbled as it cocked its head.

The Doctor shook his head in dismissal. “Never mind. So, do you live here?”

~I [ _exist/am_ ] here. Just as you [ _exist/are_ ] here.~ The traveler replied, sounding a bit confused. 

The Doctor’s face scrunched a bit in frustration. “Translator’s really doing a number on us here. Either it can’t translate nuances properly or our friend doesn’t have any frame of reference for a place where you live regularly.”

Rose shrugged. “Maybe it doesn’t. It does look like a nomad after all. Maybe it’s always travelling. Rather like us.” She smiled.

The Doctor smiled at the comparison before addressing the creature again. “Do you have a simple name we can call you? We can’t speak your full name properly, I’m afraid.”

~[ _Fear/anxiety_ ] is [ _unnecessary/irrelevant_ ].~ The traveler chirped gently. ~You do not [ _offend/anger/frustrate_ ] me. I am [DESTINY/FATE/PURPOSE-SEEKER].~ It chirped, putting more force behind its name as it spoke it.

“That’s still a bit of a mouthful.” Rose said. “Why don’t we just call you Seeker instead?”

~That [ _soul/identity/glyph_ ] is [ _acceptable/pleasing_ ] [BLOOD-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR].~

Rose blinked at the designation given to her by the traveler. “Why did you call me that?”

~You are [BLOOD-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR].~ Seeker stated simply. ~Just as your [ _companion/friend_ ] is [STORM-TRAVELER/TIME-HEALER].~

The Doctor glanced over at Rose in vague amusement. “I’d say Seeker got a bit more from our names that we expected.”

“How did it know about Bad Wolf?” She asked quietly in concern.

“It’s part of who you are, just like I’ll always be the Oncoming Storm to the Daleks.” The Doctor replied quietly. “Just like Seeker is searching for its destiny, whatever it is. It’s a part of his identity, just like Bad Wolf defines you, at least partially.”

“Is Seeker a ‘him’?” Rose wondered. “Or a ‘her’? I can’t tell.”

“I don’t really think it matters.” The Doctor replied simply. “Would it make any difference to you either way?”

“I guess not.” Rose shrugged. “It’s just weird not being able to use pronouns.”

“You should know by now that not every species in the universe is designed for bi-morphism. I’ve seen—”

“Yeah, no thanks, I’d rather not know.” Rose interrupted him hastily. “No squicky alien porn for me thanks!”

The Doctor gave her an offended look as Seeker merely warbled at them incomprehensively in confusion.

“Anyway, moving on!” The Doctor continued. “I take it there’s something special about this platform we’re on Seeker?” He asked.

~This [ _platform/container/cell_ ] is [ _conspicuous/interesting_ ] in its [ _prominence/centrality_ ].~ Seeker stated. ~The [ _ribbons/tapestries_ ] here and [ _under/beneath_ ] the grill are [ _similar/alike_ ] to my own [ _scarf/ribbon_ ].~

Moving forward Seeker brushed its cloak against one of the cloths. Suddenly the hem of Seeker’s cloak and the sigils on the scarf began to glow white. Golden motes of light appeared on the tapestry and a portion of it quickly repaired itself, changing from a damaged, dusty brown to vibrant red and gold. Letting out a larger chirp, Seeker’s song cascaded over the tapestry, transforming it in an instant to a long and whole rectangular cloth with gold glyphs running down the center of it along with gold edging, both glowing with white light along with the hem of Seeker’s cloak.

Rose walked forward and brushed her hand against the flapping cloth. “It’s so soft.” She murmured appreciatively. “Almost like silk but even better.”

A moment later Rose stepped back in surprise as the cloth seemed to disintegrate before her eyes. The top edge of the cloth unraveled into golden motes that worked their way down the cloth until they vanished into the darkness below. Glancing over at Seeker she brushed her hand over the cloak the traveler wore. “Not quite the same but close.” She mused.

Seeker looked at her in surprise at her touch but chose not to comment. While the Doctor worked to tie the key to his screwdriver to keep the primitive translator running, Seeker moved to the other ribbons, singing to them as well. Each of them revived at the song, repairing themselves and showing their true colors before vanishing beneath the grill in the same manner as the first. Suddenly the pedestal shook gently as a hidden mechanism inside slowly opened the metal grate in the center with a clatter of metal on metal. The flock of cloth ribbons burst from their confinement as if eager to be free, swirling around the three of them in a large sphere before settling in the center, moving about the air like a large school of fish.

“Are they…alive?” Rose asked tentatively.

The Doctor walked towards one and attempted to snatch one out of the air only to have it dodge away.

“Well, they’re certainly not just inanimate pieces of cloth.” He stated in slight puzzlement. “They seem to possess some kind of programming, at least enough intelligence to manage a working flight pattern and collision avoidance. You notice they all move about in the same area but don’t bump into each other. That kind of situational awareness or positional networking in real time isn’t something that’s easily accomplished with a few lines of computer code.”

“So they’re machines then?” Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged. “Could be. Perhaps some kind of circuitry imbedded in the fabric along with sensors. That doesn’t explain how they’re able to maintain their positions, though. The wind should be blowing them about and yet they self-correct without any obvious means of propulsion unless they’re just using the wind currents.” 

“Have you seen these cloth things before Seeker?” Rose asked.

~I have not.~ Seeker chirped, staring at them as they circled. ~But they [respond/accept] my [soul/glyph/voice].~

Saying this, Seeker let out another blast of sound. Immediately the cloth pieces began to glow and frantically swooped around Seeker, lifting the robed figure several yards into the air at great speed. Acting on instinct, the cloaked humanoid glided across the broken bridge to the large landing nearby. 

Cupping his hands over his mouth the Doctor called out to the now distant figure. “Wait there! We’ll be there in a moment!”

“That was amazing!” Rose breathed, staring at the cloth pieces which had returned to their previously lazy flight.

“Yeees, it was rather nifty.” The Doctor drawled musingly, looking at them closely. “Rather surprising them being able to lift something as heavy as Seeker off the ground like that. I almost wonder if there’s some kind of anti-gravity technology at work here. Very advanced for something that small.”

“Shall we go and catch up before our new friend gets impatient?” Rose asked.

The Doctor focused on her and smiled. “Right-o! On to the other side!”

Saying this, the Time Lord quickly slid down the broken stairwell with Rose following after him. Landing on the soft sand, they quickly began walking to the other side of the basin.

"Very interesting architectural style!” The Doctor suggested as he looked around at the various buildings while they walked. “A kind of Oriental and Arabic hybrid with mixtures of both in the grillwork and the colors used, not the mention the stonework.”

“Coincidence, probably. It’s not like the people here would have known anything about either one.” Rose commented.

“Possibly.” Conceded the Doctor. “Or maybe this was another offshoot of humanity at one point. You lot did spread yourselves out quite far over the centuries. Might have been an outpost or new colony at one point!”

They soon reached the other side of the massive hole, the landing on which Seeker stood about 15 feet above them. Finding natural hand holds in the wall they quickly began to scale it, hauling themselves over the edge a few minutes later before dusting themselves off and standing up. They found Seeker staring at them from a few feet away.

~How did you [ _fly/ascend_ ] without the [ _use/command_ ] of the [ _cloths/ribbons_ ]?~ The traveler asked.

Rose blinked in confusion, looking at the cloaked figure oddly. “We climbed up.”

Seeker merely chirped in confusion. 

Rose held out her hands. “We climbed up.”

Seeker looked down at itself and flapped its cloak a few times. ~I [have/possess] not what you [have/possess].~

Rose looked at Seeker in confusion before walking over to the traveler, her hands reaching towards the hem of the cloak. “May I?” She asked a bit timidly.

Seeker nodded briefly and Rose took hold of the helm, pulling the cloak open gently below the spot where Seeker’s glyph perpetually shown, seemingly acting as a clasp. The being before her was extremely thin and wrapped in a bodysuit of dull red cloth with no proportions suggesting a normal human male or female. More disturbing however, was the fact that while Seeker had slim shoulders, there were no arms attached to its body.

Rose looked up at Seeker with a hint of consternation on her face as she released the helm, letting the cloak settle back into place. Her hand unconsciously went to the blank mask covering Seeker’s face. Her fingertips pressed gently against an unyielding substance like cloth with a stiff backing.

~Why do you [show/display] such a [reaction/emotion]?~ Seeker asked in concern. ~Have I [insulted/upset/angered] you?~

Rose flushed slightly, dropping her hand. “Oh! No!…No, I’m sorry…I…I just expected you to be…well…like us. You know, with arms.” She stammered, holding her hands up in display.

Seeker looked down at her hands and then back to her. ~Why would I be [like/the same/identical] to you? You are [strange/alien/unknown].~ Seeker asked with innocent puzzlement in its high voice. ~Do not be [insulted/upset/angered]. This is my [form/shell/appearance].~

“And a very nice form it is too.” The Doctor stated gently with a kind smile, putting an arm around Rose’s shoulders. 

“Sorry, I just got a bit flustered there.” She murmured. 

“Not every species has two arms and legs.” He reminded her quietly. “Seeker looks vaguely human but he’s obviously not. Well, I say ‘he’…” He chuckled slightly. “Shame on me for labeling but the point is Seeker’s obviously doing fine without arms. It’s not like…it needs them. Flying seems to suit just fine. In fact, it reminds me of some of the more avian species I’ve seen in my time. That cloak might act as wings for all we know.”

“I suppose.” Rose replied, a hint of a smile on her face.

“Good, good!” The Doctor insisted, taking a quick step forward. “Now then let’s see about these things shall we?” He asked them.

In front of them in the center of the landing stood a semi-circle of six markers in front of which sat a cream-colored stone statue. The figure appeared vaguely owl-like with a small head and squinty eyes set into a featureless face with a long triangular body. Inscribed upon the body of the figure were lines upon lines of small, faint hieroglyphs. 

“See if those markers light up like the others Rose and I’ll have a look at our stony friend here!” The Doctor suggested as he knelt in front of the statue and began examining the glyphs.

Rose rested her hands on one of the markers and began to murmur at it but the stone barely glowed in response. Looking over at her friend, the Doctor was slowly tracing lines up and down the glyphs with his finger, murmuring to himself. Finally he stood up and shook his head.

“Same glyph pattern as the others. Frustrating not being able to read them!” He huffed, glaring at the statue. 

~Perhaps I should [speak/commune] with them?~ Seeker suggested.

“Excellent idea!” The Doctor said. “Give it a try!”

Seeker walked forwards until the traveler stood in the center of the semi-circle. Tensing up, Seeker released a burst of sound that seemed to encompass the entire landing like a group of violinists playing the same pure note at once. Immediately the markers began to glow brightly and the glyphs upon the stone began to fill with light as well. Suddenly motes of light began to stream from the markers to the center of the semi-circle, creating a perfectly round circle of light before the statue. Rose and the Doctor stepped into the circle at the same time as Seeker, the robed figure immediately sitting down with its legs crossed beneath its cloak. Shrugging, the pair did the same, one sitting on either side of their robed companion.

“So now what ha—“ Rose asked only to break off as white light engulfed her.

The doctor blinked and looked around at the vast expanse around him. He stood in a blank white void with an immensely tall and cloaked figure in silhouette several yards ahead of him. Suddenly the figure let out a massive but gentle burst of sound that washed over him like a wave of water. Vision shifted and suddenly he saw what appeared to be a pictograph of a vast mountain with a cleft peak. Suddenly rays of white light burst from the mountain’s cleft. Above it, innumerable glyphs began to form, mixing with stars in the night sky. As the scene moved to the right of the mountain, winged creatures like stylized pictures of birds began to appear, each with a glowing point of light in their center. Along what appeared to be the ground, plants also grew, each with their own light point. Finally, a series of robed figures in white appeared their appearance similar to that of Seeker but more ornamental, each with their own glyph. Lastly, a group of the white figures appeared to bow respectfully before a glowing figure lying upon the ground, above which sat a glyph. As the Doctor watched, the figure faded with a red ribbon taking its place that seemed to grow from the ground. Finally white light engulfed him once more before reality returned. He found himself still sitting in the circle of light that was rapidly vanishing along with the glyphs on the statue, Seeker and Rose next to him. Ahead of them with a grinding of metal, the massive portal grill that had blocked the entrance to a long corridor inside the building slid open of its own accord. The three of them slowly stood.

~Did both of you [share/experience/see] as I [shared/experienced/saw]?~ Seeker asked in quiet wonder.

“Possibly.” The Doctor said quietly, his gaze focused. “What did you see?”

~I [shared/experienced/saw] the [creation/birth/emergence] of [ALL]!~ The cloaked traveler chirped softly in awe.


	2. Chapter 2

  
“So we did see the same thing?” Rose asked quietly.  
  
The Doctor nodded as the three of them slowly walked down the long straight corridor of red and tan stone that had opened before them after the vision had ceased. At the end of the long tunnel was a bright patch of daylight. Seeker walked a few feet ahead of them at a brisk pace while the pair of them talked.  
  
“What you saw sounds exactly like what I saw.” The Doctor agreed idly.   
  
“So when Seeker said he saw the creation of everything…” Rose started.  
  
The Doctor shrugged easily. “That vision certainly looked like a creation myth story told in pictograms. I’ve seen a lot of things like that over the centuries, though the figure in the background was a bit different, not the mention the way the pictograms changed. Neat idea though, preserving their history that way. I’ve never seen it done quite that way before.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Rose asked curiously.  
  
“Well usually when you want to record history you do it on something that’s easily understood and easy to access so the information isn’t lost.” The Doctor explained. “A sealed book or easy to use data terminal, maybe. This, though…I get the feeling if Seeker hadn’t been there we wouldn’t have been able to unlock that vision. It was Seeker’s voice, or rather the emanation of his identity that caused the statue to activate.”  
  
“Some kind of security measure?” Rose asked. “Like a voice print or retinal scan?”  
  
“More than that.” The Doctor assured her. “We know that Seeker’s way of communicating imparts its unique identity to whatever can understand it. Only people who could communicate the same way could use it. It was made for Seeker’s people alone and their descendants. I think something significant happened here. Something they wanted to make sure was never forgotten.” He mused.   
  
Rose pondered this silently for a moment before another thought struck her. “Who do you think that figure in the background was?” She asked.  
  
“Dunno.” The Doctor shrugged. “Could have been the original person who made the recording in the first place. Could have been their version of a deity or maybe a venerated ancestor. Hard to say really.”  
  
“Pretty rare to find you not knowing about something.” She teased him gently with a smile.  
  
The Doctor just smiled. “Even I haven’t seen every planet out there Rose. If I knew everything where would the fun be in exploring? Omniscience would be absolutely boring.”  
  
Rose smiled at the thought. “What do you think Seeker?” Rose asked. “About the figure and the vision?”  
  
The robed traveler looked back at her briefly as they walked before facing forward again. ~I [know/comprehend] not the [glyph/soul/identity] of the [figure/being].~ It chirped musically. ~The [vision/knowledge/wisdom] I [gained/obtained] suggests that the [MOUNTAIN] is the [source/creator] of all [glyph/soul/identity]. The [glyphs/souls/identities] in the [sky/canopy] above between the [stars/lights] suggests such. [Glyphs/souls/identities] [appeared/created] the [WING-FLIGHT-LIFE] and the [PLANT-FOOD-LIFE] as well as [Rythulians/ancestors/progenitors].~  
  
“Rythulians?” Rose asked in surprise. “Is that the name of your race?”  
  
~They [are/were/identity] [Rythulians/ancestors/progenitors].~ Seeker chirped, sounding slightly puzzled.  
  
“There’s no such thing as just a name on this world Rose.” The Doctor reminded her. “Everything here has a personal identity that defines and encompasses it. For these people, ‘Rythulian’ literally means the very concept of personhood and identity, just like the word ‘human’ is to you and everything that word implies.”  
  
Rose nodded. “So they didn’t think in terms of nationality or race?”  
  
The Doctor shrugged. “I doubt those words even exist here. They were a single group of people and from what the vision showed us there weren’t any differences between them; at least not enough to make them fundamentally different from each other.”  
  
“Sounds like a pretty nice place.” Rose smiled before refocusing on Seeker. “What about the rest of it?”   
  
~When [Rythulians/ancestors/progenitors] [died/ceased/disappeared] [cloth/ribbon/scarf] took their place. I [believe/think] that [Rythulians/ancestors/progenitors] became [Glyphs/souls/identities] without [shells/forms/bodies].~  
  
“Some kind of belief in the afterlife?” Rose asked the Doctor.  
  
“Maybe.” The Doctor admitted though his tone suggested he wasn’t convinced. “That bit about the cloth coming up from the ground where the Rythulian was makes me wonder, though.”  
  
The trio emerged from the long arched hallway into the bright sunlight. Before them stood the broken remains of a long pillared bridge that spanned a massive canyon. Looking about, the canyon extended miles into the distance to their right and left with similar bridges crossing the divide every few miles. Several hundred feet below them sat the remains of various constructs with more tapestries blowing in the breeze while on the far side of the canyon stood another entrance at the end of the bridge, backed by a massive flow of sand similar in appearance to a waterfall.   
  
“Wow.” Rose murmured as she looked around. “Sure gives you an idea of how big the place is.”  
  
The Doctor nodded. “Not to mention the size of their civilization considering the number of bridges.” He mentioned before peering down the edge of the broken expanse. “Now, how do we get down here?” He murmured thoughtfully.  
  
Without saying a word Seeker suddenly leapt off the edge.  
  
“Seeker!” Rose shouted in fear as she threw out a hand to grab at the creature’s cloak only to clutch empty air.  
  
“Rose! It’s okay!” The Doctor said quickly, holding on to her to keep her from falling over the edge. “Look!”  
  
Floating serenely through the open air, Seeker glided towards the ground, its cloak billowing gracefully around it. Reaching the bottom the traveler executed a rolling tumble before shaking itself off and flapping its cloak to dislodge the sand stuck to it. Looking up at them, it sent out another loud blast of sound, the tone suggesting calmness and serenity.  
  
“Sounds like he’s okay.” Rose admitted.  
  
“You know you really shouldn’t call Seeker ‘he’.” The Doctor reminded her gently. “There’s no indication it’s a male even if it’s humanoid.”  
  
Rose shrugged. “Call it a failing of being human but Seeker doesn’t strike me as female. He’s a take charge kind of guy.”  
  
The Doctor shrugged. “You’re basing that on your own biases, history, and the time you come from. Your generation’s already throwing off that mentality. Give it a generation or two more and that idea will be considered quaint at best.”  
  
“I guess.” Rose shrugged. “I just don’t like calling him an ‘it’.”  
  
“You’re not robbing Seeker of its worth or dignity as a sentient being by using ‘it’.” The Doctor assured her gently.   
  
Rose nodded. “I get it, but if I slip up don’t hold it against me, ‘kay? Old habits and all that. I’m more worried about finding a way down.”  
  
The Doctor looked around and over the side of the bridge, noting the brown rock formations that led down the side of the canyon wall. “Looks like we’ll have to take the long way down.” He mused. “Looks like there’s plenty of hand holds though.”  
  
Rose pouted. “This is going to be one heck of a climbing expedition isn’t it?”  
  
The Doctor shrugged. “Won’t know till we get there, will we?” He smiled.  
  
Rose huffed in annoyance before carefully reaching out to grab hold of one of the rocks next to the platform. The pair began to slowly make their way down the side of the canyon wall, stopping every few minutes on an outcropping before finally making their way to the bottom where Seeker waited for them placidly.  
  
~You are [fine/uninjured/whole]?~ It chirped.  
  
Rose nodded. “Yes, thanks. I’m not looking forward to climbing up the other side.”  
  
“Since we’re here, might as well look around.” The Doctor suggested. “I think I saw a light over this way.” He said, pointing to an outcropping of rocks to the left.  
  
Rose shrugged. “Why not? Not like we’re going anywhere.”  
  
~We do have a [destination/place/location].~ Seeker corrected with a gentle chirp as they began walking.  
  
“Really?” Rose asked. “Where?”  
  
~[MOUNTAIN].~ Seeker intoned.  
  
“Why do you want to go there?” Rose asked.  
  
~I [feel/sense/observe] a [pull/longing/desire] to reach it.~ Seeker replied. ~I do not [comprehend/understand] why but the [pull/longing/desire] is there.~  
  
“It’s a pilgrimage then.” The Doctor smiled. “Always wanted to take one of those, just never got around to it. Never had anything important enough to make a pilgrimage to.”  
  
“The Time Lords didn’t have any places they considered special?” Rose asked.  
  
The Doctor shrugged. “Oh, well we had a few places like the Tomb of Rassilon and Omega, the Untempered Schism, but I ran from the Schism the first and only time I saw it.” He said.  
  
A few moments later they moved around the piles of rock. Behind them sat a small glowing orb of light.  
  
“Ooo! What do we have here?” The Doctor murmured excitedly.   
  
Pointing his activated screwdriver with the key still connected to it at the orb, the glowing glyph began to pulsate as Rose and Seeker joined him. Suddenly the orb flared brightly before sending out glowing motes. This time, however, the motes encompassed all three of them at once. The Doctor and Rose looked about them in fascination and delight as Seeker merely observed the proceedings. The vast majority of the motes converged on the edge of Seeker’s scarf, extending it as it had before though a few swirled around the Doctor and Rose before focusing around their hands. With a small flash of light, the motes vanished. Rose looked at her hands before letting out a quiet gasp. On the backs and palms of her hands sat a single glowing glyph identical to the one she had observed in the orb. Looking at the doctor’s hands the same mark appeared in the same places.  
  
“Well…” The Doctor murmured, gazing at the glyph intently. “Isn’t this interesting?”  
  
“What…just happened?” Rose asked uncertainly.  
  
The Doctor quirked a smile at her. “I’d say we’ve just been imprinted on Rose. That glyph looked similar to the mark Seeker bears. Based on what we know so far, I’d say that orb used to be someone.”  
  
“You mean…that was a soul?” Rose asked with a hint of awe.  
  
The Doctor nodded. “Close enough. Wouldn’t you say Seeker?” He asked the robed figure.  
  
~We [encountered/experienced] a [Glyph/soul/identity]. The [Glyph/soul/identity] [gave/imparted/bestowed] itself upon our [shells/forms/bodies]. It became [part of/one with, joined] my [cloth/ribbon/scarf] and [gave/imparted/bestowed] itself upon your [appendages/manipulators].~   
  
“What’s so special about your scarf?” Rose asked curiously, gazing at it.  
  
~My [cloth/ribbon/scarf] [enables/allowed/grants] me the [ability/skill/advantage] of [flight/volition] for a time.~ It chirped.  
  
“May I take a look?” The Doctor asked.  
  
Seeker bobbed its head affirmatively.  
  
Taking the scarf in his hands the Doctor began to run his screwdriver over the silvery-white runes.  
  
“This material…it’s completely organic…almost like…living tissue.” The Doctor murmured. “Where did you get your cloak from?”  
  
~I did not [obtain/retrieve/take] it from [anywhere/anything/anyone].~ Seeker stated with an odd-sounding chirp. ~It is a [part/appendage/piece] of me. The [cloth/ribbon/scarf] [gave/imparted/bestowed] itself upon me when I first [encountered/experienced] a [Glyph/soul/identity] as the one just now.~  
  
“So this is your…skin?” Rose asked, brushing her fingertips along the side of Seeker’s cloak.  
  
~It is my [covering/shell/exterior].~ Seeker chirped in puzzlement. ~Just as you have [covering/shell/exterior].~  
  
“Well, this is our ‘shell’.” The Doctor explained, rubbing a finger along his hand. “This,” he tugged on the sleeve of his jacket, “is just covering.” He said as he began to open his jacket.  
  
Suddenly Seeker let out a loud and frantic series of chirps. ~DO NOT!!~  
  
The Doctor started in surprise before slowly closing his jacket again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He assured Seeker, rubbing the humanoid’s cloak with a hand gently.   
  
“What was that all about?” Rose asked with a look of concern.  
  
“Apparently Seeker’s people didn’t need to create clothes or coverings for themselves so there’s no such thing as a garment you wear.” The Doctor explained. “I suppose Seeker thought I was going to peel off my skin.”  
  
“Are you alright?” She asked the cloaked figure gently.  
  
Seeker nodded. ~I was [confused/frightened/afraid]. But now I [comprehend/understand/realize]. You have a [building/structure] around you.~  
  
“Close enough.” The Doctor replied. “More like a tent really. A movable building that you can use when you need it.”  
  
Seeker nodded again, its chirps sounding calmer. “I am [thankful/appreciative/grateful] for your [explanation/knowledge/information].~  
  
“Well! Now that we’ve got that sorted out, let’s go see about these other tapestries!” The Doctor suggested enthusiastically. Stalking across the sand at a brisk pace they soon came to one of the broken pieces of the bridge. The structure had been mostly buried, creating a small ramp pointing towards the next section. Just beyond it laid a series of boxy metal blocks with fanned wings on each one. At the head of the segmented structure was carved a blank mask-like face with slanted empty eyes, the inner points of both terminating in tear-like trails down the carving’s mask. In the center of its forehead was a stylized circle within a circle. At the position of what would have been the construct’s neck sat a long dusty tapestry flapping in the breeze, held in place by something within the structure itself. The Doctor peered at the face mask inquisitively, running his screwdriver over it before moving around the edge of the blocks while Rose and Seeker watched.  
  
“Any idea what this is?” Rose asked.  
  
“No, but it certainly wasn’t placed here intentionally, that’s for sure.” The Doctor replied with a scratch of his head. “It looks like it crashed or died here based on how it’s positioned. The front of it has what one would normally call a third or inner eye, suggesting discernment or unseen wisdom but the tear marks on its face suggests it came by that knowledge through trials or the knowledge it possessed was grim.”  
  
“And the ribbon attached to it?” Rose asked as Seeker quickly leaped on top of one of the connected boxes.  
  
“Well, they seem to be the same as the ones we saw earlier.” The Doctor pointed out with his arms crossed in consideration as he looked up at them.   
  
“If that’s the case then Seeker should be able to activate it with his voice.” Rose suggested.  
  
Seeker nodded briefly in acknowledgement before moving to the tapestry. Letting out a blast of harmonics the tapestry immediately went from dusty brown to royal red with golden glyphs before it seemed to deconstruct itself before their eyes, the shimmering golden edge of the tapestry making its way into the box. Suddenly the entire structure shuddered and hidden doors within it opened, revealing a massive flock of small cloth pieces. As they watched, the swarm circled around them before flying off towards the ramp-like section of the bridge. Combining together they began to create a wide and lengthy tapestry connecting the two bridge pieces until the last of the cloths fused together, completing the span. Seeker quickly leaped off the construct and the trio made their way up the ramp to examine the new tapestry.   
  
“Well, it certainly looks like the others.” The Doctor said thoughtfully. “Obviously it’s meant to allow us to cross. Interesting that those smart little cloth pieces knew to do that since the bridge sections collapsed. They’ve either got some very good situational programming or…”  
  
“Or?” Rose prompted.  
  
The Doctor glanced at her and shrugged. “Just a thought; not even a theory really. Later, though. Right now I want to see what this beauty can do.”  
  
~I [think/believe] I can [answer/explain/demonstrate].~ Seeker stated.  
  
As they watched the robed traveler stepped lightly onto the tapestry, making the glyphs upon it glow brightly. As they watched, Seeker lifted several inches into the air, twirling gracefully before facing them, its cloak and scarf glowing with the same light as the figure floated before them.  
  
The Doctor’s eyes widened in surprised glee at the display. “Incredible! Anti-gravity repulsion technology woven into the cloth itself! Brilliant! I’ve never seen <em>anybody</em> do that with just cloth! Unless the generator is built into the pieces of the bridge itself, but still! Sending a steady stream of anti-gravity particles along a continuous changing surface like that with that kind of precision! Oooh, whoever your ancestors were they were brilliant, Seeker!” He complimented with a happy grin.  
  
“But if the cloak is his skin, how does it know to react?” Rose asked. “Or will it work for anything?”  
  
The Doctor grinned. “Thinking like a scientist already! They grow up so quickly!” He exclaimed. “Let’s try it out!”  
  
Rose scoffed at his comments as the Doctor took a rubber ball from his pocket and tossed it towards the tapestry. Bouncing into the center of the material the ball failed to react in any way, quickly rolling off the undulating cloth until it hit the sand a few feet below, making the Doctor sit back in puzzlement.  
  
“Huh! Didn’t expect that. Curiouser and curiouser.” He mused. “Looks like the whole tapestry is keyed to the glyph signatures on Seeker’s skin so it can float but normal objects can’t. Still amazing though, how specific they managed to make it.”  
  
“Does that mean we can’t get across?” Rose asked.  
  
The Doctor pursed his lips in thought before glancing down at the new markings on his hands. “I wonder…”  
  
Stretching out his hand, the marks on it began to glow brightly inches before he touched the fabric. Pressing down, he could feel resistance building under his hand as if two objects with the same magnetic poles were attempting to repulse each other. Grinning, he moved his other hand closer to the cloth, making the other pair of glyphs illuminate as well. Moving slowly towards the tapestry he carefully kept his hands at his sides with the palms facing downward as he began to walk on it. After a few seconds he began to wobble, making him step back onto the stone ramp.  
  
“Well! That was quite exciting.” He stated cheerfully. “Didn’t quite work but still…”  
  
“I thought you had it there for a second.” Rose said supportively.  
  
“Close but I didn’t have enough coverage on my hands to keep myself steady.” The Doctor stated. “Rather like trying to balance between two unicycles by using your hands.”  
  
Rose looked at him oddly. “And how would you know that?” She asked.  
  
The Doctor grinned. “I’ll tell you about my time in the Psychic Circus one day when I performed for the gods of Ragnorok. That was a time.”  
  
Rose shook her head. “I don’t think I want to know.”  
  
~There are other [cloths/ribbons/scarves] nearby. Perhaps we should [use/activate] them.~ Seeker suggested.  
  
The Doctor nodded and quickly descended the ramp, the pair following behind him. Off in the distance, near a double sand-fall at the opposite side of the canyon, stood another structure that seemed identical to the first.  
  
“Ruddy sun is making me feel like a loaf of bread in an oven.” Rose muttered as she wiped her forehead clear of sweat. “Thank goodness for that sun cream or I’d be blistering by now.”  
  
“You’d have melanomas on every exposed inch of you, I’d say.” The Doctor said mildly. “No worry though; that sun block comes from a planet with a worse sun than this. You’ll be lucky to get a tan from this one.”  
  
“Lucky me.” Rose replied with a sarcastic twist to her lips as they reached the other structure, this one holding two tapestries. Once again Seeker leaped onto its head before letting out a harmonic burst. The pair of long ribbons came to life before retreating into the confines of the object, releasing its own swarm of cloths. They quickly flowed towards the bridge, filling in another two sections seamlessly. Glancing around, Rose noticed something glimmer behind the sand falls.   
  
“Oy! Think I found another one of those orb-soul-things!” She exclaimed.   
  
“Onwards then!” The Doctor announced, striding in the direction Rose had pointed. “This time I want to get some good readings of it before it imprints!”  
  
The trio skirted the eternally falling sand to see another orb floating near the wall. Crouching down before it, the Doctor began to scan it intently with his screwdriver.  
  
“I was right.” He nodded. “This orb gives off the same energy that the markers do.”  
  
“You mean…there are souls trapped in those things?” Rose asked worriedly.  
  
The Doctor glanced at her, his gaze considering. “Possibly. On the other hand they may have left just a bit of power behind. Enough to power the wall transformations and activate the statues without being trapped themselves.”  
  
Returning his focus to the orb, he continued his scans. “Energy variances all across the board so it’s not just one form of energy, its dozens, maybe even hundreds of different kinds. But all of them interconnected and entwined in perfect harmony to create a brilliant whole.”  
  
“Like a beautiful Persian rug or scarf?” Rose asked with an impish smile.   
  
The Doctor smiled at the comparison. “That wouldn’t be too far off. I wonder if it can communicate.”  
  
The Doctor began to whistle tunelessly at it for a few seconds.  
  
~Please do not! ~ Seeker exclaimed with a loud chirp before moderating its tone. ~That was [disconcerting/unsettling].~  
  
“I think he’s saying your tone deaf.” She smiled.  
  
Seeker shook its head. ~No [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR] it is [worse/terrible]. It is…[anathema/abomination]. It is…[death/decay/un-life]. I cannot [explain/impart] better.~  
  
The Doctor looked over at Seeker in concern. “I was creating a sound that was…dead?”   
  
Seeker nodded. ~There was no [soul/identity/glyph] within it. It is a [decay/cessation/death] [tone/voice/commune]. ~  
  
Rose looked at the two of them, puzzled. “I don’t understand.”  
  
“Everything ties in to sound.” The Doctor explained the chagrin in his voice plain. “Pitch, tone, inflection, frequency. All of it. But more than that, you have to have…I suppose ‘life’ or ‘emotion’ would be the best way to describe it. The sound has to mean something, you have to have some ‘oomph’ behind it. Otherwise…it’s dead, flat. Meaningless.”  
  
“So?” Rose asked looking a bit bewildered. “I mean I’ve heard flat or weird-sounding music before and they sound odd but…”  
  
“Not like this, not in Seeker’s case.” The Doctor stated softly. “This isn’t like nails on a chalkboard that makes you wince in annoyance. It would be like…a corpse suddenly sitting up and speaking in a dead, monotone voice.”   
  
Seeker bowed its head in mournful agreement. ~Yes.~  
  
Rose looked rather stricken at this. “Something tells me he wouldn’t like our orchestras back home then.” She murmured.  
  
The Doctor glanced at Seeker soberly. “It would probably be like seeing a mass grave open and the dead try to sing with rotting voices. On the other hand the singing from one of your church choirs might be the most beautiful thing Seeker could ever hear.”  
  
Rose brightened a bit at the thought. “Maybe when all this is over Seeker can come back with us and hear them?”  
  
The Doctor smiled again, the sparkle returning to his eyes. “Lovely idea, we might just do that. Anyway, no more depressing thoughts! It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, we have a new friend, and we have a fascinating soul in front of us! Couldn’t be better!”  
  
Rose giggled at this. “One more thing to add to my list of things I never thought I would hear someone say!”  
  
Seeker let out a happy tone at hearing Rose laugh. “The [sound/vocalization] you made…it was very [enjoyable/pleasant]. Filled with [life/Glyph/energy].~  
  
The Doctor grinned impishly at Rose. “If I didn’t know better I’d say Seeker loves to hear you laugh.”  
  
Rose smiled back at the cloaked figure. “I’ll have to do it more often then.” She turned her focus back to the Doctor. “Anything else about the orb?”  
  
“Oh plenty of data but it’ll take a bit of time to analyze.” The Doctor replied easily, gazing at the orb. “If we had the TARDIS with us it wouldn’t be a problem but the screwdriver just doesn’t cut it for something this complicated. I’ll need to talk with the old girl directly just to get the full answer, I think. You don’t just analyze a soul with a screwdriver after all.”  
  
“That’s true enough.” Rose smiled. “So, no whistling to it then. What about singing?”  
  
“Could do, but I can’t sing worth a pence with this set of vocal chords.” The Doctor replied. “Maybe in the old days when I had a different face I could have but…”  
  
Rose shrugged. “I could give it a shot. I sung a bit a few years ago.”  
  
Rose began to sing a slow, wordless, and soft melody, weaving her emotions into the chords. The feeling of discovery she felt upon stepping out onto a new world, the surprise and shock upon being filled with an understanding of Seeker’s soul, and the wonder of the things she had seen so far mixed with her voice in a song of pure expression before she stopped a few moments later.  
  
~You [communed/spoke/expressed] as I do!~ Seeker chirped in excitement. ~Only a small part of your [soul/Glyph/identity] was [imparted/bestowed/granted] but it was [beautiful/lustrous/wonderful]!~  
  
Rose blushed faintly at the praise as the orb began to emit a soft keening sound.  
  
“I’d say it’s trying to say hello.” The Doctor said with a smile.   
  
~It is…[acknowledgement/expression/appreciation] of [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR]’s [commune/greeting].~ Seeker stated. As the pitch changed slightly Seeker cocked its head. ~It is [inquisitive/wondering/curious].~  
  
The Doctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Can it ask us something specific?”  
  
Seeker let out a few chirps but the quiet sound that came from the orb simply faded.  
  
Rose frowned. “Why did it stop?”  
  
~I [sensed/felt] it lost interest.~ Seeker chirped. ~There was [peace/serenity/contentment] within it. It was…[whole/complete/fulfilled].~  
  
“An enlightened soul.“ The Doctor pondered. “Free from any and all physical concerns or restrictions and completely content in itself, needing nothing.”  
  
“Sounds nice.” Rose smiled.   
  
“Sounds boring to me.” The Doctor replied with an easy grin. “I live for adventure and discovery. Navel-gazing gets dull after a few seconds.”  
  
“I suppose it won’t mind if it…imprints on us then?” Rose asked.  
  
~It’s [will/choice/decision] is its own. We cannot [demand/force/require] it to [impart/imprint].~ Seeker explained.  
  
Saying so, the traveler moved closer to it, making the glyphs on its body illuminate. The orb began to strobe briefly before transforming into motes of light. Swirling around the three of them, Seeker’s scarf was lengthened once again. This time, a second glyph appeared next to the one on their hands, linking with it to form a larger whole.  
  
“If we get more of these we’re going to be one big tattoo.” Rose suggested with a smile.  
  
The Doctor chuckled quietly at this. “I could think of worse things to have. You should see some of the more tribal species I’ve met. They look like moving pieces of artwork with tattoos all over their bodies.”  
  
“Lovely.” She commented.  
  
“Come on!” The Doctor insisted, getting to his feet. “Lots more to explore around here! I think I saw some tapestries off in the distance there.” He said, pointing to the opposite side of the bridge.  
  
The group made their way across the sandy expanse. Seeker delighted and amused them with its mastery of sand-surfing, the cloaked traveler using the stiff breeze to slide across the sand with ease, occasionally twirling around them teasingly.  
  
“Seeker must be awfully light to do that.” Rose mentioned at one point.  
  
“It is,” The Doctor observed, “especially since it was able to glide down into the canyon without using its glyph ability. I wonder if its bones are hollow.”   
  
Seeker guided them across the canyon, coming to another segmented structure from which waved a large cloth. As Seeker activated it, the Doctor began to adjust the settings on his screwdriver further.   
  
“What are you doing?” Rose asked.  
  
“Setting this so it will detect the same energy form we analyzed from the orb in addition to translating.” The Doctor replied distractedly. “If there are more of them out there I want to find them.”  
  
“You and your obsession with shiny things.” She teased, making the Doctor grin.  
  
The edifice shuddered, releasing its collection of cloths which quickly flew to the last open area between the pillars, creating the final connection. The entire bridge flashed briefly with white light before settling, the tapestries still in place.  
  
“Looks like the construction’s done.” The Doctor noted as he finished adjusting his screwdriver. “Let’s—“  
  
Suddenly the screwdriver began to buzz urgently.  
  
“Ooh, looks like someone else is still here!” The Doctor exclaimed quietly, slowly pointing the tip of the device in various directions until it settled on another series of ‘sand-falls’ against the far end of the canyon. As they made their way towards the falling sand they came upon another smaller metal box with a shorter tapestry connected to it. Moving the head of the screwdriver about, he finally pinpointed the orb’s location, sitting on an outcropping of rock several dozen feet off the ground at the top of the sand-fall.   
  
“How do we get up there then?” Rose asked with her arms crossed, looking up at it.  
  
“How indeed?” The Doctor pondered quietly.  
  
~I [believe/think] this will be [useful/helpful/solution].~ Seeker chirped from the nearby box.  
  
It quickly let out a loud chirp, causing the cloth to activate, releasing a small school of cloths that floated about the box.  
  
“That’s fine for you but what about us?” Rose asked.  
  
The Doctor gazed at Seeker and the glyphs on his hands before nodding. “Let me try something. Be there in a tick Seeker!”  
  
The Doctor quickly climbed onto the top of the box to stand behind the cloaked creature. Resting his hand gently on Seeker’s shoulder, the glyphs on his hands began to light up, as did Seeker’s cloak. Resting his other hand on the other shoulder he then spoke to it.  
  
“Try and float.” He suggested softly.  
  
Seeker nodded and called out to the cloths above him. Immediately they swirled around the pair of them, lifting them high into the air. The Doctor cried out in excitement as they quickly floated back to the top of the box.  
  
“That was brilliant!” He laughed. “Rose, you have to try this!”  
  
The girl grinned before climbing onto the box as well. “Can we all get a lift at the same time?”  
  
“Let’s try it!” The Doctor suggested as Rose placed her hands on the Doctor’s shoulders, making her glyphs glow as well. “Try it again Seeker!”  
  
Calling out once more the cloths lifted the three of them into the air though their pace was somewhat more ponderous and they quickly landed on the ground.  
  
“Not surprising.” The Doctor commented. “The greater the mass, the more power it takes to levitate. One last try and let’s see if we can make it to our orb friend.”  
  
Nodding Seeker called out a third time. As soon as the cloths lifted them into the air, Seeker immediately began to fly towards the top of the sand fall, the three of them landing with barely enough room.  
  
“You okay Seeker?” Rose asked.  
  
~I am [whole/undamaged/fine].~ Seeker replied. ~You were simply [heavy/weighty/ponderous].~  
  
Crouching before the orb Rose once again attempted to sing to the orb but aside from a brief sound of acknowledgement it paid them no mind. Gathering around it, the orb’s light engulfed them, lengthening Seeker’s scarf and adding a third connected glyph to Rose and the Doctor’s hands. Both of them took hold of Seeker’s cloak before gliding down to the base of the sand fall, each of them landing softly.  
  
“I think I’m getting the hang of this.” Rose smiled.  
  
“Well, when all you have to do is hang on I expect it would be simple.” The Doctor teased.  
  
Suddenly Seeker caught their attention with a series of brisk chirps.  
  
Beckoning them over the figure slipped through the sand fall into a natural alcove behind it.  
  
“Secret behind the waterfall?” Rose asked in amusement.  
  
The Doctor glanced at her oddly, not getting the reference before they quickly ducked into the alcove. Before them sat another blank wall with two pairs of markers on either side.  
  
“Ohh! Another one!” The Doctor said with interest. “Wonder what this one’s about? I didn’t see any markers out there so I doubt it’s a memorial wall.”  
  
~Let us [discover/find out/learn].~ Seeker suggested, brushing against each of the markers with its cloak, making them light up before the wall itself began to blaze.  
  
“Huh. So the walls are attuned to Seeker’s glyphs as well.” He remarked, stroking his chin. “I guess we were lucky the first one even lit up at all.”  
  
The light faded showing a stone mural depicting a series of buildings amidst rolling hills with the wind blowing across the sky. The Doctor looked over the depiction intently.  
  
“Simple enough, I suppose.” He stated. “This carving depicts a flourishing civilization, no real threats or problems to speak of, at least not at the time this rendering represents.”  
  
Turning around, he smiled. “Well, shall we try out the bridge then?”  
  
The trio quickly ducked through the sand fall, dusting themselves off before making their way back to the ramp. Resting their hands on Seekers shoulders, they stepped onto the cloth at the same time. Immediately the cloth began to glow along with the glyphs on Seeker’s cloak and their hands, lifting each of them up.  
  
~The [cloth/ribbon/tapestry] seems to be [aiding/helping/assisting] in the [lifting/floating/volition].~ Seeker remarked with a series of encouraging chirps. ~You do not feel as [heavy/weighty/ponderous] as before.~   
  
The Doctor nodded. “Let’s go then!” He insisted.  
  
Pointing its body forward, Seeker immediately set off at a quick pace, flying up the center of the length of cloth, Rose and the Doctor being pulled along. Rose laughed in excitement as they came to the first stone support with Seeker using its momentum to soar across the unglyphed stone walkway before landing on the next section of tapestry, immediately zooming forward. They arrived at the next pillar support a few seconds later with Seeker once again detouring above it. Upon reaching the third support, this time with a stone archway in the center, Seeker leaped even higher, spinning them in a tight corkscrew as it flew over the arch itself before landing heavily on the last section of ribbon, making it bow before zipping up the last section onto the far side of the bridge and sliding to a halt a few feet before the statue, a series of markers displayed in straight lines down either side of the walkway.  
  
“That was incredible!” Rose cried, laughing, her hair blown about. “Wow!”  
  
The Doctor’s grin threatened to split his face, his eyes twinkling madly. “Quite a rush! Even with the wind resistance and our mass we were still able to fly! Those cloths must be incredibly powerful to manage something like this!”  
  
Suddenly Seeker let out a burst of sound, activating the markers nearby. Motes of light flowed from each of them, creating the same perfect circle on the ground before the statue they had seen previously.   
  
“Story time.” The Doctor said with a quiet smile as the three of them sat down in the circle of light.  
  
White light blinded them for a moment. When their vision cleared they looked at each other in surprise. All three of them stood within the white void with a massive figure cloaked in gold and white standing before them. Rose stared up at the figure in apprehension before looking at the other two.  
  
“We’re all seeing this, right?” She asked anxiously. “I’m not imagining you two, am I?”  
  
“We’re here Rose.” The Doctor stated quietly as he looked up at the awesome figure before them. “Blimey, that’s a tall one.”  
  
The figure before them towered over them by several yards. Its cloak, similar to Seekers, was pure white and edged with gold. Upon its expressionless white mask were twin bands of gold, one across its forehead, the other along what would have been its jawline and its slanted eyes glowed pure blue. Slowly the creature leaned forward until it appeared to float diagonally before them, its face close to them as it seemed to scrutinize them intently.  
  
_Two of you are not of this world._ A sonorous voice echoed around them as the figure emitted a powerful orb of sound.  
  
“No.” The Doctor replied quietly with a hint of respect. “We’re just paying a visit.”  
  
Rose looked at the Doctor in surprise. “You mean this isn’t some recording from long ago?”  
  
The Doctor shook his head slowly in amazement. “I was wrong. This is something much more special. This is a gateway Rose.” He murmured.  
  
“To where?” She asked, refocusing on the massive figure.  
  
“No idea.” The Doctor said in a softly amazed voice, still staring at the figure. “Wherever it lives I suppose.”  
  
The figure seemed to focus on Seeker. _Why have you come here?_   
  
~The Mountain summons me.~ Seeker replied. ~I cannot refuse its call. These others, though they are alien and unlike myself, have shown me kindness, compassion, and friendship. They travel with me.~ 

_You cannot guarantee they will remain by your side to the end._  
  
~I accept that risk gladly.~ Seeker replied.  
  
The figure then looked at the Doctor. _Your eyes hold wisdom gained from long years and tragedy. Yet you remain exuberant and optimistic even in the face of darkness. I laud you for remaining unbroken in the face of such trials. Learn what you will, traveler, and let your knowledge grow, for then you will know the truth of us._

The Doctor nodded silently.  
  
The figure then looked to Rose. <em>You are young still, filled with life and not yet burdened with the hardships of the world. Revel in your youth, child, and learn much but never lose your spirit of joy for all too often it turns to bitterness.</em>  
  
“I will.” Rose murmured.  
  
_Learn now of our history._ The figure said before retreating and letting out another refined burst of sound.  
  
Vision shifted and the group beheld another series of pictograms. Below a star and glyph-covered night sky, a stylized Rythulian in a white robe stood before a pile of blocks. A series of higher and higher columns began to emerge from the ground, each more ornate than the last until a large covered bridge had been created. On top of the bridge stood several more figures in white with a swarm of red squares circling it, while below the bridge, stylized plants grew. The pictogram changed with a long red ribbon inserting itself into the covered area of the bridge before sliding through it like a train on a pair of tracks. As the pictogram moved along, three intricate buildings appeared, connected to the sky-bridge. The ribbon ran through the buildings, seemingly disappearing into each one before moving on. A moment later, the previously dark windows in the buildings lit with brilliant light as more cloth pieces swirled above each building with Rythulians standing nearby.  
  
A moment later the scene vanished, returning them to reality. As the circle faded away, the sand fall before them split apart, revealing a long corridor. Standing, the three of them looked around at each other.  
  
“You really consider us friends?” Rose asked Seeker with gentle inquisitiveness.   
  
Seeker looked at her. ~I do.~ It chirped.  
  
Rose smiled happily, the simple declaration warming her heart.  
  
“Come on you lot! Still a long way to go!” The Doctor encouraged. “Allons-y!” He cried as he strode between the sand falls into the darkened corridor.  
  
~[STORM-TRAVELER/TIME-HEALER] [constantly/always] [behaves/acts] in such a [way/manner/habit]?~ Seeker asked Rose.  
  
Rose smiled with a nod. “You get used to it after a while. Come on.”  
  
Resting a hand on the back of Seeker’s cloak affectionately, the two moved past the sand into the dim corridor.


	3. Chapter 3

“How were we able to understand…whoever that was?” Rose asked the Doctor as they walked down the corridor. “For that matter, how were we able to understand Seeker while we were in that vision? I could hear him chirping like always but they just made sense to me.”

“Whatever that creature was, it was extremely powerful.” The Doctor said thoughtfully. “It might have been one of the white robed people we saw in the visions. If that’s the case I can see them easily creating a civilization with abilities like that.”

“What abilities?” Rose asked in confusion. “I mean, yeah, it was able to communicate with us but…”

The Doctor shook his head. “That creature had most likely never experienced a human mind before, let alone a Time Lord’s, and yet it could communicate with us in a way we could understand without any effort on its part. Only a few races in the entire universe have that kind of natural capability. I can understand any spoken language and read any dialect with my connection to the TARDIS and you get the same understanding with that connection but even that’s based on the Time Lord’s technology; even with the TARDIS link we couldn’t perfectly translate Seeker’s form of communication. That creature we saw can speak to a person’s soul directly. The only other thing I know of that can do that is the heart of the TARDIS itself. Which means it’s either got access to technology on par with the Time Lords or it’s just naturally that gifted.”

“Wow.” Rose murmured in amazement.

The Doctor nodded. “Not only that, it’s been showing us those pictograms directly; that’s how they were able to change in real time. Casual manipulation of an alien being’s cerebral cortex and nervous system at that level, especially with a higher-order mind like mine, and when they have no prior knowledge of its mental processes and cultural expectations, is almost unheard of unless you’ve got extremely deep knowledge and hyper-advanced technology. The few races in the universe capable of things like that were usually worshiped as gods by other cultures. Even the Time Lords were venerated like that to some degree.”

“So that…creature was a god?” Rose asked with a hint of awe.

The Doctor shrugged. “Well I say gods…” he drawled, waving a hand, “technically there’s no such thing unless you count the Guardians of Time and Chaos that keep the universe in balance but this one would be powerful enough that other races would think they were god-like in their power. They’d probably call these visions we’ve been getting ‘revelations’.” He said with a smirk, quoting the air with his fingers.

“So the statues are…what? Video phones to contact them?” She asked.

“Something like that.” The Doctor replied with a smile. “Like I said, its transmission technology that allows us access to their realm or mind. It might also be what grants them their abilities, assuming there’s sufficient tech buried in that statue or under the floor. I’ll need to check out the next one to see if it’s solid rock or if it’s got some kind of psychotronic transmitter.”

Moments later they exited the long hallway and emerged into a sprawling desert. Looking around Rose pouted.

“Great! More sand and lots of hills! I’m never visiting the beach again after this.”

~I find this [setting/place/area] [peaceful/serene/enjoyable].~ Seeker remarked chirpily.

“You live here, that doesn’t count.” Rose teased.

Seeker looked back at her for a moment before they continued their trek, slowly climbing a large sand dune. Looking around, Rose frowned a bit before speaking.

“You know I didn’t notice but the sky isn’t blue, it’s kind of a sickly green and the sand here is kind of pinkish instead of brown like before.”

The Doctor glanced around before nodding. “Curious that. Of course if this planet is mostly desert the sky wouldn’t be blue anyway, not enough ocean. And I’ve been on worlds that have pink water so pink sand isn’t a stretch.” He smiled. “It’s probably due to the particles in the atmosphere that make the sky look green.”

With a happy chirp Seeker slid down the large dune with Rose and the Doctor following after it.

“You know, that looks like fun.” Rose smiled. “Maybe we should learn how to do that.”

“You know me; always up to learn new things.” The Doctor replied easily.

As they crested the next, smaller dune they came upon another segmented structure with the teary face mask and third eye. This time almost the entire construct was buried, leaving only the head and first segment uncovered, from which flapped a tapestry.

“Another one of these.” Rose muttered as Seeker leaped on top of it. “I wonder what they were.”

“Hopefully we’ll find a database or something that can tell us.” The Doctor replied. “They’re obviously manufactured and they have some storage space. Maybe these were used like lorries to move goods or equipment around?”

Seek let out a loud chirp, activating the cloth which disappeared into the box. A moment later the ironwork grill on the front of the box shuddered open and out flew what appeared to be a mass of smaller tapestries making up a single creature. The cloth circled around Seeker in a friendly manner before letting out a few gentle chirps that sounded bird-like.

“Ooh! What’s this?” The Doctor asked excitedly, climbing onto the box, making the creature zip upwards before circling above them. “Come here little fella!” He cajoled the carpet.

The carpet slowly floated into the Doctor’s arms, hovering in front of him as he examined it. The creature consisted of a rolled up piece of square cloth for a head and main body with three long but thin ribbons extending out from the back of it, looking slightly like a squid with three tentacles, the middle tapestry somewhat longer than the other two. The cloth brushed up against the Doctor’s front, nuzzling him before making a series of chirps.

“Oh, aren’t you just adorable!” He exclaimed with a grin, petting the carpet’s body with a hand, making the glyphs on his hands and the creature’s body glow as the cloth chirped at the Doctor inquisitively. “Come take a look Rose!”

~The [carpet/cloth/ribbon] seems quite [friendly/peaceful].~ Seeker suggested, gazing at it curiously.

Rose stood next to the box and held out her hands as the Doctor gently shooed it in her direction. The carpet allowed itself to be handled, its glyphs glowing along with Rose’s.

“It’s so cute!” She squealed with delight as it chirped at her, nuzzling her cheek before floating in circles around her as she stroked it. “Can we keep it for a pet?”

The Doctor chuckled at her exuberance. “I’d say that’s up to it.”

“You want to stay with us little guy?” She cooed, catching it in her arms and stroking its body.

The carpet chirped happily before wriggling out of her grasp and flying several feet away, chirping as it went.

“I’d say Sir Wilgums wants us to follow it.” The Doctor said with a smile.

“Sir Wilgums?” Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged. “It’s the first thing that came to mind. Good a name as any.”

Rose snorted in amusement, shaking her head at the inanity as they followed the flying carpet.

“What do you think Seeker?” Rose asked. “Is ‘Sir Wilgums’ a good name?”

~I know not the [Glyph/identity/soul] of [WILGUMS]. The [ribbon/cloth/carpet] has no [Glyph/soul/identity].~ Seeker stated.

Rose frowned slightly in confusion. “But in the first vision we saw that birds and plants have a glyph in them. Sir Wilgums can make sounds and move so it’s obviously alive.”

“Not necessarily.” The Doctor suggested as they began climbing the dune in front of them. “Wilgums has glyph energy in it because glyphs were woven into it and infused with that energy, so it’s enough to animate it and give it some kind of sentience, but it’s not a fully formed soul like the orbs. Just like a dog or cat can be aware and live but not be ‘intelligent’. I think the cloths may be just that; simple materials imbued with energy to make them useful and maybe even enjoyable but they aren’t like Seeker or us.”

“Well, I still think Wilgums is sweet and cute.” She said.

The Doctor smiled as they crested the large hill. At the base of it sat several more metal boxes strewn about haphazardly, around which the flying carpet circled and chirped. They quickly descended down the slope with Seeker once again surfing down with ease before leaping gracefully onto the box with its signature ribbon. Chirping loudly, Seeker made the ribbon promptly vanish after which several grills opened on the various boxes, releasing four more of the cloth creatures. Chirping excitedly Wilgums joined the others as they circled around each other, each chirping seemingly in excitement.

“Aww! It’s a reunion!” Rose said.

The Doctor nodded in agreement. “Those things have probably been stuck in there for quite a while. Not surprising they’d be happy to see each other.”

Moments later the carpets began to swirl around the three of them. Jumping slightly Seeker floated on top of one of them and the carpet began to ferry it up the nearby hill making Rose grin happily.

“They really are magic carpets!” She said excitedly. “I want to ride one!”

The Doctor chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Assuming one will let you ride them. Dunno if we have enough glyph for that.”

Rose walked up to one of the circling carpets and beckoned one to come closer with her hands. “You’ll take me for a ride, won’t you little fella?” She asked sweetly as one of them approached.

The carpet slowly circled her before nudging up against her hands, making the glyphs glow. She carefully pulled herself onto the carpet until she was kneeling on it, resting her glowing hands on its surface.

“I think I’ll call you Frederick.” She stated as the carpet began to slowly glide towards the hill ahead of them.

“Do you plan to name them all?” The Doctor inquired in amusement as he walked beside her, a carpet trailing behind him.

Rose shrugged. “Gotta keep track of them somehow.” She dimpled. “At least we don’t have to feed them or take them potty.”

“Well, there certainly is that.” He drawled. “Nothing like a pet that doesn’t make a mess on the floor.”

They slowly reached the top of the dune with Seeker waiting for them. Suddenly the carpet that was carrying Rose shook her off, making her land on her butt with a soft thump before it moved to join the other carpets that floated on ahead of them.

“Oy! Come back here you!” Rose cried petulantly as she stood and dusted herself off. “I wasn’t done with my ride!”

“Apparently Frederick was.” The Doctor chuckled. “You have to admit you’re not exactly as light as Seeker is.”

Rose looked at him archly, her hands on her hips. “And what’s that supposed to mean then?” She demanded.

~I [believe/think] he is [saying/suggesting/hinting] you are [heavy/weighty/ponderous].~ Seeker replied helpfully.

“Shut it you!” Rose retorted, glaring at Seeker. “I wasn’t asking your opinion.”

Seeker took several steps back in surprise, letting out a dismayed chirp.

Rose blinked in surprise before moving to Seeker and putting an arm around the figure’s cloak. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” Rose said gently. “I wasn’t really angry, just a bit annoyed is all.”

Seeker let out a series of gentle chirps. ~I am [sorry/sad/unhappy] I have [angered/frustrated] you.~

“It’s okay, I’m not upset anymore.” Rose assured Seeker before looking over at the Doctor with a slightly stern glance. “You, though, I might have words with later.”

“Riiiight…anyway, let’s see where our flock is taking us shall we?” The Doctor suggested quickly.

Rose smirked, shaking her head. “You’re only delaying the inevitable but let’s go.”

Seeker moved closer to the Doctor. ~I am [concerned/worried/frightened] for your [wholeness/well-being]. [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR] [seems/appears/indicates] [anger/frustration/violence] against you.~

The Doctor shook his head. “No need to worry. Rose isn’t a violent person. She just likes to threaten me every so often when I say foolish things. I suppose you could say it’s a control issue her species has.”

~Is not [telling/bestowing/imparting] [TRUTH] [important/paramount]?~

The Doctor chuckled. “Oh my friend, you know nothing of females and trying to explain them would take far too long.”

Descending another dune they came upon the broken remains of a two story building which was little more than a pair of connected walls with an archway around which the carpets circled. Walking around the side they came upon another blank area with a pair of double markers.

“Seeker, would you mind?” The Doctor asked, motioning to it.

~I would be [happy/glad/agreeable].~ Seeker chirped.

Walking over to the wall it let out a harmonic burst. The markers lit and the wall blazed revealing the picture beneath it; five white figures standing in the midst of rows of plants.

“Well, isn’t that interesting.” The Doctor said as Rose joined him. “It looks like this planet’s changed quite a bit since this was done. Apparently this area was once very rich farmland or forest. Now though…” The Doctor looked around, his face creasing a bit in concern. “There’s not even scraggle brush or a relative of the cactus here. No water, no viable dirt with nutrients. Nothing.”

“What could cause something like that?” Rose asked in concern.

“Something terribly devastating.” The Doctor replied quietly, his face grim. “Something worse than the nuclear bombs you lot have developed. Even the strongest of them wouldn’t leave the Earth irradiated for thousands of years unless you lot fired off every one of them at once. And even then there would still be some kind of life evolving, a few small plants here and there. Not here though. The ground is completely dead.”

~As if the [life/energy/vibrancy] [disappeared/died/vanished].~ Seeker stated solemnly.

The Doctor nodded. “Come on, let’s keep going. I want to see what else is here.”

The trio continued to follow the carpets up and down several more dunes though Seeker chose to walk with them rather than surf as before.

“How old are you Seeker?” Rose suddenly asked.

~I do not [comprehend/understand].~ Seeker chirped in confusion.

Rose bit her lip gently in thought before trying again. “How many…days or cycles of the sun have you been alive?”

~I have never seen it [change/move].~ Seeker replied, still puzzled.

Rose frowned, wracking her brain for a frame of reference the traveler might understand. “What is the first thing you remember?”

Seeker chirped curiously at her before becoming silent and introspective for a moment as they walked. Finally it looked over at her again.

~Sitting on [sand/ground] as a glowing [Glyph/soul/identity] [flew/moved] [over/above] me. ~

Rose’s frown deepened. “Were you ever a child? Umm….smaller or…less developed than you are now?”

~I have [always/ever] been as you [see/observe] [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR].~ Seeker replied, still puzzled at her questions.

Rose looked over at the Doctor in confusion as they crested the top of another hill. Below them lay the shattered remains of another structure, this one seemingly circular in construction with three broken pieces of wall, the fourth being larger with two empty windows at the top as the carpets flowed about it idly.

~[Look/observe]!~ Seeker called to them quickly. ~In the [sky/canopy]!~

The pair of them looked up to see a glowing ball of light streak across the sky, losing altitude as it went. Reaching the structure below the ball swirled around the remains of the building before slamming into the highest piece of wall at the very top with a loud ‘thud’. Flaring, the ball released a swarm of small cloth pieces before dimming and glowing gently atop the building while the cloths began to swirl around the interior of the structure. The trio quickly hurried towards the remains of the building with the Doctor attempting to grab one of the cloth pieces.

“Gotcha!” He crowed as he finally he managed to snatch one. “Now let’s have a good look at you!”

The cloth tugged ineffectually as it tried to escape as the Doctor ran his screwdriver over its surface.

“Same energy signature as the orbs we’ve seen so it wasn’t just carrying these things with it.” The Doctor pondered as he continued his scans. “It looks like these cloth pieces were actually part of it before it released them!” He said in surprise before releasing the struggling cloth.

“You mean these cloths were pieces of its soul?” Rose asked in confusion. “Why would it…shed them then? Wouldn’t it need all of itself to be whole?”

~I [believe/think] I [comprehend/understand/know].~ Seeker answered. ~The [Glyph/soul/identity] is itself [whole/undamaged] but it [holds/contains] [power/energy/creation] that it can [bestow/release/impart] where it [chooses/decides/determines].~

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. “I couldn’t have put it better myself. Well, now we know where the small cloth pieces come from. Let’s see if we can get that orb.”

The pair grabbed onto Seeker’s cloak, the traveler let out a loud blast of sound. The cloth pieces immediately swirled around them, glowing brightly and lifting them into the air. Flying forward, they landed carefully on the top of the masonry. The orb blazed into motes, creating more glyphs on Seeker’s scarf and the Doctor and Rose’s hands. Seeker carefully glided to the ground, settling them on their feet.

“I wonder what happens when the orbs break up like that.” Rose murmured. “Do they become part of Seeker’s skin and just power his scarf when he jumps or does it communicate with him? Can it even communicate like that or…”

“All very good questions Rose.” The Doctor interrupted. “Wish I had an answer; this whole place is one big puzzle.” He grinned suddenly. “I’m rather enjoying myself! Lots of puzzles and nobody shooting at us. I couldn’t think of a better holiday!”

“You know, you’ve just jinxed us saying that.” Rose teased.

“Aww, come on! My luck’s not that bad!” The Doctor grinned.

Rose just snorted in disbelief as Seeker led them onwards, the carpets playing and swooping out in front of them, some of them diving into the sand like dolphins before surfacing and flying into the air.

“I have to say, all that running from people trying to kill us did help the legs.” Rose stated. “A few years ago I would have been huffing and puffing up and down these hills.”

The Doctor grinned. “See? Some good came out of it after all!”

Reaching the top of the latest dune they stopped in surprise.

“Well, that’s not ominous as all get out.” Rose remarked sarcastically. “I told you not to jinx us.”

Below them in a deep basin sat a collection of buildings surrounded by swirling clouds of sand and massive high walls. Such was the difference in height between the buildings and the walls that the flying sand clouded what little sun peeked through, making the entire area dim and dark. At the various cardinal directions stood the broken remains of three bridges.

The Doctor looked at the sight before him with his hands in his pockets, his face scrutinizing. “Can’t blame me for this one Rose, that little sand storm’s been going for a while now. Come on.”

The group slowly made their way down the steep side of the depression, Seeker walking with them as the carpets flew about.

“At least Sir Wilgums, Frederick, and his friends don’t seem worried.” Rose pointed out. “They look relatively happy.”

“They’re not dogs Rose, I wouldn’t use them as danger detectors.” The Doctor cautioned. “We don’t know if they can even recognize a threat.”

Rose huffed but chose not to respond as they slowly made their way into the dim shrouded light surrounding the buildings. The clank of gears and machinery echoed across the tall structures as the wind blew drearily around them. The carpets slowly became more subdued until they barely chirped at all, flying slowly in the direction of one of the buildings. Looking around, the Doctor noticed a small slope of sand leading up to a stairwell on the side of one of the structures. Waving them onward they began to climb the stairs, walking up several stories until they came to a small landing, the stone walkway that connected it to one of the other buildings shattered. Looking around for another way up, one of the carpets began to nudge the Doctor’s elbow. As he looked at it quizzically one of the other carpets began to swirl around Seeker’s feet. Jumping a bit in the air, seemingly on a whim, the carpet immediately slid under Seeker, boosting it up to the next level of the tower onto another staircase. Looking at the insistent carpet next to him the Doctor rested his hands flat on the carpet before carefully climbing onto it with Rose doing the same a moment later. The two carpets slowly flew upwards, depositing them on the stairs next to Seeker.

“Good boy!” Rose smiled as she stroked her carpet, making it chirp happily.

Smiling, the Doctor patted his own before walking up the remaining stairs. On the landing sat a partially open grilled window, the ironwork broken outward in which a struggling carpet was stuck.

“Aww! Poor thing!” Rose moaned as she walked up to it. “Here, let me help you.”

The Doctor walked over and began to struggle with the metal grillwork, shifting it just enough for Rose to pull the carpet free. Immediately it began circling them with happy chirps as another carpet managed to slip through the slightly widened gap.

“Now where to?” Rose asked as she looked around at the landing they were on.

“I’d say up.” The Doctor replied as the carpets they had freed began to nudge against their legs.

Climbing carefully onto the carpets they were once again carried up to the next level of the structure. In the center of the floor sat a large hexagonal grill. A solid walkway connected them to a nearby building.

“These carpets are right useful, aren’t they?” Rose smiled, petting the one that had conveyed her.

The Doctor nodded. “Be a great help next time I need to do some maintenance in the TARDIS and don’t have a step ladder handy.”

As the trio walked across the causeway they came to a large arched window with more grillwork. Inside the tall structure they could hear machinery clanking away regularly. Suddenly a dark, foreboding figure with glowing, flickering blue eyes appeared in the window with a clang, making Rose jump at the sight. A moment later the figure slid out of sight with another clang.

“What was that?” She asked in surprise.

~I [know/understand] not what the [figure/thing/construct] was, but its [appearance/face] was [similar/close/near] to the [constructs/machines/figures] we have [seen/observed].~ Seeker stated with a thoughtful chirp.

“Seeker’s right, that thing, whatever it was, had tear trails down its face just like the ones in the desert and I think I caught a glimpse of that third eye marking they have.” The Doctor mused as an identical figure slid into view with a clang, its bright blue eyes flickering.

“Interesting.” The Doctor said, walking up to the window and gazing inside. “Seems to be some kind of factory; lots of machinery at work here but it all seems to be automated.”

Rose peeked inside as well. “Funny thing, nothing’s being produced; the machines are just moving in circles.”

The Doctor shrugged. “Probably ran out of raw materials a long time ago. Pretty impressive they’re still running after all this time. Your people sure made things to last Seeker.” He smiled.

Seeker seemed to shrug indifferently as they walked around the side of the wedge-shaped building, following the wide stone walkway. The mysterious machines continued to shift past the grilled windows at regular intervals like a clockwork mechanism. Moving around to the back side of the building they came upon a new circular room in which flew a massive flock of carpets. A few of them pressed against the windows, chirping at them as they walked.

“Poor things have been stuck in there for who knows how long.” Rose commiserated, resting a sympathetic hand against the cool metal grill of a window. “Can we get them out?”

The Doctor looked over the windows for a moment before shrugging helplessly. “No cutting tools around here and these things still look sturdy after all this time. Dunno how we’d go about it. My screwdriver can break molecular bonds for small things like wire or thin metal fencing but nothing that dense. I couldn’t even get it to resonate concrete very well, if you recall.”

Rose smiled, recalling that particular night when the two had been trapped in a building and the Doctor had attempted to vibrate the window bars out of the wall by setting up a resonance pattern in the concrete that held them in place. Fortunately they had been able to escape by other means but the memory of it was still fresh in her mind.

“Come on, maybe we’ll find something along the way.” He suggested bracingly with a smile.

Nodding, they continued their walk around the circumference of the building until they came to another dead end.

“Could you give me a boost?” Rose asked her carpet.

The carpet chirped, nudging against her.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She smiled as she pressed her hands against the top of the carpet before carefully climbing onto it, the Doctor doing the same for his as Seeker merely jumped gracefully onto its own carpet, the three of them slowing flying upward to the top level of the structure. The roof of the building seemed to be temple-like in construction with a series of steps leading up to a columned area with another gateway statue with various markers and a split walkway off to the side of the stairs. In front of the stairs was a massive grill which looked down into the room filled with the captive carpets. Getting off his carpet and giving it a quick rub of thanks, the Doctor began to walk up the stairway while Rose sat down on the grill, trying to get the attention of the carpets below. Seeker, meanwhile, began to wander along the left walkway which led around the side of the raised portion of the roof. Coming to a dead end near the back the traveler began to chirp enthusiastically.

~Come [see/view/look]! I have [found/located] another [Glyph/soul/identity]!~

The other two quickly joined him, the Doctor inspecting the orb intently but as before they failed to get a response from it beyond a quiet acknowledgement of their existence.

“They’re kind of stuffy, aren’t they?” Rose asked a bit crossly. “No interest in anything but themselves.”

The Doctor shrugged. “Not like it’s been doing much. For all we know it’s been sitting in this spot for a thousand years. After that kind of solitude they may have forgotten how to interact with other people. Not surprising really. At least they’re willing to imprint on us; they could just as easily ignore us completely.”

Glyph light once again swirled around them though this time the motes swirled around Rose’s and the Doctor’s feet before vanishing. Frowning in puzzlement, Rose unlaced her shoes and pulled them off before doing the same to her socks. On the tops and bottoms of her feet sat a simple glyph.

“Huh. Okay.” Rose murmured before putting her socks and shoes back on. “Maybe they wanted some space from the other glyphs?” She wondered.

The Doctor gazed at his own feet thoughtfully. “More to it than that, I’m sure. Maybe they want us to go barefoot?”

“At the heat that sand is going to be?” Rose asked in dismay.

~I feel no [heat/energy] when I [walk/travel/move].~ Seeker said.

“We’ll try it later.” The Doctor said. “Right now I’m more interested in that statue.”

Walking about around the building they quickly ascended the double flight of stairs. Off to each side of the flat area were two double columns of markers with the statue at the back. Walking over to it, the Doctor began to tap on the stone with his knuckles as well as pressing his ear to the statue itself.

“Seems solid and I don’t hear any kind of energy conduction going on inside.” He muttered. “Seeker, could you activate the statue for me?”

~[Of course/certainly/yes}.~ The robed figure replied before letting out a burst of sound, activating the markers. As the circle began to materialize from the motes of light given off by the markers, the front of the statue began to glow as its miniature glyphs became active. Listening closely the Doctor frowned.

“Still nothing.” He murmured before aiming his screwdriver at the glyphs. “It’s giving off the same energy as the markers to but no other energy types or transmissions coming from the statue.”

“Maybe there’s an orb in the statue that talks to us?” Rose suggested.

“Could be,” The Doctor replied, “but I’d rather not break open the statue just to find out.”

~Shall we [commune/speak] with the [god/figure/being]?~ Seeker asked.

The Doctor nodded. “Why not? Let’s see what it has to say.”

Saying so the three of them sat down in the circle.

FLASH

Once again they stood in the white void as a group, the figure in white and gold standing before them imperiously.

“I don’t think we were properly introduced last time.” The Doctor started off. “I’m the Doctor, this is Rose, and that is Destiny-Purpose-Seeker. May we ask who you are?” The Doctor requested.

 _Though we have not met before, I know who you are._ The figure stated, the Doctor noting its tone and attitude were somewhat different than the figures they had seen before as it loomed over them. _I am a member of the Remnant._

“What is the Remnant?” The Doctor asked.

_We are Those Who Came Before and The Last Who Remember. It stated. We are the Guardians of Knowledge and the Keepers of Wisdom. History is our shame and it is our DUTY to impart our wisdom that it might not be repeated._

“Why is history your shame?” The Doctor asked shrewdly. “What exactly happened here?”

 _Learn from us and you will find the answer to that question._ It replied heavily.

“Where exactly are you?” Rose asked hesitantly.

The figure turned its head to gaze at her. _We are everywhere. I sense your desire to free the servitors nearby. I shall be generous and grant you what you seek for there is no reason for them to remain there. Know that the glyphs upon your feet will allow you to ride them as One Who Seeks Their Destiny does._

It then turned to Seeker. _See the height of our creation that you might also know the depths of our foolishness, One Who Seeks Their Destiny._

Their vision swam and when it cleared they saw the three lit buildings connected to the sky train filled with ribbon they had seen before. As the scene scrolled to the side they beheld more buildings, seemingly the ones on which they stood with the first building containing a massive room filled with ribbons with the other taller structure bent slantwise at the top, similar to the temple area upon which they sat. As the vision progressed, they came to a massive hill or large mountain covered with crops. Suddenly buildings began to appear, covering over the crops as more of them became constructed as they traveled up the side of the mountain until the very peak of the mountain was covered with buildings. Atop the buildings stood several figures in white their postures proud. Suddenly their vision washed out and they once again sat in the dimming circle of light. Behind them, the massive grill in the roof slid open with a clatter, releasing the vast swam of carpets. Standing, Rose ran down the stairs to greet them as the hatch closed, laughing as they swirled around her, chirping loudly and rubbing against her. The Doctor and Seeker stood at the top of the stairs, watching the display.

“I could watch her play all day like that.” The Doctor said quietly with a soft smile, his eyes crinkled with joy. “Watching her reminds me of just how much good there is in the universe. When all you do is fight against the evils…you need the light to remind you what you’re fighting for.”

Seeker let out several encouraging chirps, making the Doctor chuckle gently. “I’m not sad Seeker, just thoughtful. Come on, let’s go join in the fun.”

As they walked down the stairway the carpets began to fly off towards the buildings in the distance as Rose waved to them. A few remained behind to wait as Rose turned to the Doctor and Seeker.

“That was awesome!” She gushed happily. “Can we go with them?”

“I’d say that depends on our friends here,” The Doctor replied with a smile as he moved to the one that had a longer middle ribbon. “What do you say Sir Wilgums? Want to go have fun with your friends?”

The carpet chirped enthusiastically as Rose and the Doctor removed their shoes and socks before mounting their carpets. Like Seeker they seemed to float just millimeters above the surface of the material, the glyphs on their feet glowing brightly.

“This is amazing!” Rose stated in wonderment. “It’s like standing on a cushion but I don’t feel like I’m going to fall off or wobble!”

“I’m guessing they designed these carpets to move about on like personal conveyances.” The Doctor said. “Even if they could fly on their own it would be pretty impractical to make a flying machine only to fall off it when it starts to move. Some kind of inertial dampening field around it maybe.”

~The [progenitors/ancestors/Rythulians] were [potent/powerful] indeed.~ Seeker stated.

“Let’s go then!” The Doctor cried. “Allons-y!”

The carpets immediately flew into the air, making them laugh in excitement as the ribbons bore them away from the dark pit and into the sky.


	4. Chapter 4

The trio laughed merrily as their carpet mounts glided swiftly through the air. Their bare and glowing feet hovered above the tapestries, never quite touching them, and yet they managed to stay aloft, unconcerned by the whipping breeze as Seeker floated serenely on its own carpet nearby. As they reached the tall outer wall the carpets zipped over the top before flying down its exterior face at a steep angle. In front of them sat a miles long trench filled with broken buildings and archways sticking out of the softly-colored sand. Chirping at each other the Doctor’s and Rose’s carpets suddenly dipped downwards, sliding into the sand just under the surface as Seeker’s carpet chose to fly off with the others, dropping the traveler onto the sand. Landing with practiced ease, Seeker began to surf quickly down the trench’s incline, keeping pace with the Doctor and Rose.

“We’re sand surfing!” Rose cried out excitedly as her hair whipped about. “This is awesome!”

“Have to say I’ve never been sand-surfing with bare feet before!” The Doctor replied loudly over the wind with a grin. “Quite amazing considering our feet aren’t getting torn to pieces or burned by the sand! Another carpet trick I suspect!”

~Follow me!~ Seeker chirped loudly as the traveler leaned forward, shooting ahead of the Doctor and Rose before flitting through one of the archways.

Rose laughed. “It’s like slalom!” She cried. “Race you to the end! Come on Frederick!”

Chirping happily the carpet increased its speed, making her second through the gateway.

“Oy! Get back here you lot!” The Doctor shouted good-naturedly as he passed through the same gate a few seconds later. “Come on Sir Wilgums, let’s show them what you’ve got!”

Coming to a second archway with a raised ramp Seeker shot off of it, spinning gracefully in the air before spreading out its cloak and landing with ease, its momentum carrying it forward at a brisk pace. Rose went through the same gate next with a whoop, her arms raised in the air as the carpet flew in a long arc before burying itself just under the sand again, pulling her along. The Doctor let out a surprised yelp as he and his carpet flew into the air from the ramp before slamming into the sand, rattling the Time Lord slightly. A large rock formation soon came into view, splitting the trench in two with all of them angling towards the left, sliding through three more gates in quick succession.

Rose looked back at the Doctor and grinned. “You’ll have to do better than that Space Man!” She called out.

“Oy! Watch it Earth Girl!” He shouted with a laugh.

Coming to a raised and columned rectangular walkway in the middle of the trench, the carpets immediately changed course, slipping between the columns. At the end of the walkway sat a glowing orb. Seeker immediately plowed into it, making the orb explode into motes of light with the Doctor and Rose coming up behind it a second later as they flew off the edge and into the air once more. The motes spun around all of them and the Doctor could sense delight coming from the soul as it inscribed another glyph onto their feet as they landed. Ahead of them was a raised bridge that crossed the trench with a massive stylized supporting block in the center. Zipping to the left again, the trio flew through another ramped archway before the trench’s sides closed in on them, terminating in a tall tower at the base of which was the mouth of a corridor. Sliding into it they flew past the walls, down the long, stark tunnel until they came to a sand fall covering the exit. Bursting through the sand Seeker cried out in surprise as its feet met empty air. Spreading its cloak it quickly began to glide down into the courtyard below. Rose burst through the sandy curtain a moment later, crying out in shock and surprise as the carpet quickly flew towards the ground. The Doctor shot through the sand immediately afterwards, spitting out some of it and rustling his hair. Gasping at the sudden increase in height he wobbled slightly before reining in his instincts, calling out to Rose.

“Just hold still! The carpet will get you down!”

“I know!” She shouted a bit breathlessly. “Just scared me there for a second!”

The pair flew down to the ground, the carpets allowing them to disembark before flying off towards the others. Looking around, they could see the courtyard was enclosed by a tall circular ridge into which were built various towers. On the far side of the area stood a sturdy crenellated wall with a large archway in the center about 25 feet off the ground. In the center of the courtyard sat a large flat slab of stone into which was set a large grill and four circular stubby columns, one at each corner with a section cut out of each one near the top. Around the edges of the courtyard were more of the segmented structures, each with their own tapestry.

Seeker walked over to them, chirping happily. ~I cannot [remember/recall] when I have had such [fun/merriment/enjoyment]!~

Rose grinned as she smoothed back her hair. “We need to do that again!” She exclaimed breathlessly.

“Once we find a way out of here anyway.” The Doctor remarked, looking up at the archway. “The carpets seem to be waiting for us at the top of the wall.”

~There are [more/several] of the [machines/structures] here. Perhaps they [hold/contain] more [cloth/ribbon/scarf] that can [aid/assist] us.~ Seeker suggested.

Seeker walked quickly over to one of the machines and called to it as the Doctor began to wander about the courtyard, looking at the tall buildings. Meanwhile Rose walked over to the center of the courtyard to gaze into the chamber beneath the grill.

“Lots more cloth pieces down here!” She called out. “Looks like a whole swarm of them!”

“Makes you wonder what kind of soul likes to sit about inside a dark hole.” The Doctor mused idly to himself as he walked over to the left side of the ruin. “Hello, what have we here?” The Doctor asked quietly, seeing a small school of cloths floating about a nearby rock.

Seeker quickly flew between the various machines, singing to the imbedded tapestries. Out of each of the machines emerged a single carpet that began to fly about. After freeing the fourth one, the cloaked traveler flew over to where the Doctor stood, gazing at the cloths as they swirled around him carelessly, their glyphs glowing brightly.

~There [seems/appears] to be something of [importance/interest] here.~ Seeker suggested.

The Doctor nodded. “My thoughts exactly. Would you mind?” He asked, resting a hand on Seeker’s shoulder.

Nodding, the traveler sang to the cloths making them swirl about before depositing them on a small room built into the side of the cliff about 20 feet above them. On the wall sat another blank mural. Moving to it, Seeker activated the glyph markers, uncovering the wall space. Upon it showed a large number of buildings with figures in white standing amongst them.

“So, this place was a busy metropolis at the time.” The Doctor mused. “This might have been one of the cultural centers or capitals back in the day.”

~It is [conceivable/possible].~ Seeker admitted.

“Oy! Come look at this!” Rose shouted from down below.

Taking hold of Seeker, they glided down to the courtyard where Rose stood. The grill had opened and near the stone wall floated a flock of cloths.

“You know those carpets you let out?” Rose asked. “Well each of them went inside one of those columns and all of a sudden the grill just started opening. Lucky thing I didn’t fall in. And then all the cloths just flew out and starting wandering around over there.” She said, pointing to them.

“Little buggers are just trying to be helpful I suppose.” The Doctor commented as they walked over to them. “It would be kind of hard to get to that archway any other way. Let’s give it a shot.”

The pair of them took hold of Seeker as it sent out a harmonic burst like the sound of an orchestral string section playing a pure note. The cloths lit up and swirled around them, lifting them high into the air, allowing them to land gracefully on the platform beneath the archway. The carpets chirped in response, circling them playfully. Beyond the wall was another long and wide corridor of sand hedged in by high ridges with a tall broken bridge spanning it. The carpets nudged their legs insistently, making them look down.

“Care for another race?” The Doctor asked with an impish smile.

“You bet!” Rose agreed while Seeker bobbed its head.

“Right then, Allons-y!” The Doctor cried, leaping off the edge.

“Doctor!” Rose cried in surprise as one of the carpets quickly swirled around the Doctor’s feet, making him float before landing quickly in the sand and speeding off down the valley.

“Prat!” She growled. “Let’s get him carpet!” She said fiercely as she leaped.

Her own carpet quickly stabilized her before flowing into the sand, making her slide quickly after him.

Seeker stared at the pair of them incredulously for a moment before leaping off the edge as well, extending its cloak. Gliding on the air currents, it quickly caught up with them as they reached the bridge where several archways sat, one after the other. Whizzing through them they quickly slid through several more gates in quick succession before coming upon a hilly area. In the center of the canyon sat a tall tower with a broken, pillared ridge spanning the two sides. Sliding to the right of the large building they passed a natural rock span before sliding through a series of gates, Rose and the Doctor laughing while Seeker chirped happily. More elaborate arches came into view, some of them the remains of small, buried buildings while a massive ridge of stone split the canyon in two as a large pointed rock jutted out from the sand ahead of them, creating a natural ramp. Sliding up it, the trio let out cries and hollers as they flew in a long arc. Landing with a splash of sand they shot through several more gates. Another tall bridge, easily 50 feet high and broken in the center slid past them before the canyon’s ridges began to narrow once again. Ahead of them sat what appeared to be a massive natural cave entrance.

“I wonder what’s in there!” Rose called out.

“Only one way to find out!” The Doctor replied loudly with a grin.

Urging the carpets on, the three of them sped into the cave mouth. As they came around a long corner the cave emerged into a wide corridor hundreds of yards long, the end of it lost in the distance. The right side was open to the setting sun via a long series of columns, making the sand under their feet glow and sparkle, the dull sand seemingly transformed into a river of liquid orange and gold.

Rose gasped in amazement as she gazed at the beautiful colors before glancing beyond the corridor. In the distance the massive split-peaked mountain sat with the sun shining behind it, the remains of a massive city nearby. Finally the carpets slowed as they came to a large open space between the pillars. Below it sat a steep pathway of sand that led down into the city. The group took a moment to drink in the sight before them. A vast collection of multi-tiered artistic buildings built into the very rock itself sat in a massive series of tiers, each one lower than the previous one. Columns and archways abounded with massive domed roofs and slantways structures while causeways ran between each of the buildings, connecting them all in a vast tiered circle miles wide. The immense expanse and the grand style of the city could have come from a tale of old Arabia as the sun shone over it all, covering the buildings in glittering warm orange and gold light as the mountain stood in the distance, undeniable in its supremacy.

~Never have I [seen/observed/known] such [beautiful/glorious/amazing] things!~ Seeker exclaimed with a quiet, reverent chirp as the carpets flew about them.

“A picture like this could hang in any art gallery in the galaxy and it would draw people from all over.” The Doctor agreed quietly as he took it all in.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a more beautiful place.” Rose said wistfully. “Earth looks dilapidated and junky compared to this.”

“Not exactly a fair comparison.” The Doctor remarked quietly. “I’ve seen places on Earth just as beautiful. You just have to know where to look.”

~If this place [earth/dirt/ground] is as [beautiful/lovely/amazing] as you state, I would [wish/enjoy] visiting it.~ Seeker stated.

The Doctor smiled at the thought before patting each of them on the back. “Come on, the carpets are getting restless and I want to see what’s in this city.”

Rose grinned, looking at the drop. “It’s a long way down. Race you to the bottom?”

The Doctor smiled with a gesture. “Ladies first.”

Inclining her head briefly in amused respect, Rose let out a wild yell as the carpet slid down the steep path at terrific speed with Seeker and the Doctor following after her. Sand falls and high sturdy walls surrounded them as various and creatively-styled buildings constantly swept into view as they twisted and turned. Above them, a high bridge with what appeared to be a pair of large stone creatures sat in silent contemplation as they passed. Ahead of them, the path narrowed before coming to an almost vertical drop into the heart of the city. With a scream Rose barreled down the ridge, nearly in free fall as buildings connected by thick overhead causeways swept past her. A hundred feet flew by and then another hundred until the drop ended in a massive circular chasm with an outcropping of flat rock before her, creating a primitive ramp. The girl shot across the expanse, her companions seconds behind her as carpets flew past. Time seemed to slow down as she looked around wildly, adrenaline racing through her body. Around her sat the massive city in all of its former glory like a huge amphitheater with her in the center ring, the mountain looming in the background, the air filled with golden light and dusty sand that sparkled like the light of the souls they had met while below her yawned a massive pit of darkness in stark contrast to the beauty around her. Suddenly reality asserted itself and she felt herself falling as the carpet below her slipped from her feet, racing away. Spinning her arms wildly, her heart in her throat, Rose barely had time to take in a breath to scream when she felt rich warm cloth surround her.

~Do not be [afraid/frightened/anxious].~ Seeker chirped gently in her ear as the glyphs on her hands and feet began to glow with light. ~I have you now. I will not [allow/permit] you to [fall/perish].~

Looking down, she found herself wrapped in Seeker’s cloak like a pair of wings enfolding her, the traveler’s red bodysuit pressing gently against her back and its cowl brushing against her ear. Looking to her left, Seeker’s bright glowing eyes stared into hers as they descended into the darkness before landing gently on the sand below. Rose gazed at the figure, her emotions fluctuating wildly as her heart pounded from the fear and excitement she had felt.

“You saved my life.” Rose murmured, emotion filling her voice as she spoke. “Thank you Seeker!” She whispered, wrapping her arms around the traveler and hugging it tightly.

~I can [sense/feel/understand] your [intent/emotions/feelings].~ Seeker chirped quietly in amazement. ~[Normally/usually] your [voice/soul/commune] has some [energy/life/intent] but this is [greater/more] [potent/powerful/rich].~

Seeker let out a potent song in response and for the first time Rose could truly feel the emotions within it. A powerful wave of acceptance and tenderness, filled with compassion and care washed over her.

“I wish I could sing like you can!” Rose whispered, her voice nearly choked with emotion.

~In this [instant/moment] you are.~ Seeker chirped softly. ~I [know/understand/comprehend] you [purely/perfectly]. Your [voice/commune/song] is [filled/overflowing] with [connection/desire/gladness/relief/fear]. I have never [felt/known] such [emotions/intent/feelings] could [exist/be] until now.~

Rose pulled back slightly, gazing into Seeker’s eyes. “I could feel your song too.” She murmured in quiet amazement. “It was…just as amazing for me. We…humans can’t normally…” She took in a deep breath to try and master herself.

~Do not [close/shut/seal] your [glyph/soul/identity].~ Seeker chirped intently. ~[Release/free] it. Show me [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR]’s [Glyph/soul/identity].~

Blinking, Rose slowly let her mental barriers and self-discipline fall away. Giving in to the moment, she began to let out a quiet keening sound as tears filled her eyes. Uncaring of where she was or what might have been expected of her, she released all of her pent up emotions in a great cry of sound. She poured into it all the fear, excitement, anger, and joy she had kept inside, not daring to let them show in the face of the Doctor’s manic personality and almost frantic life. Tears streamed down her face as she once again let her mind recall all the dark and terrible moments where she had feared for her life and sanity only to have the Doctor snatch her away from death’s jaws at the last moment. The joy and excitement of the stars and worlds she had seen as well as all of time and space were encapsulated in that primal and overwhelming cry as she recalled her transformation into the entity she knew as Bad Wolf. Her breath nearly hitched as she remembered the absolute power and knowledge, greater than even that of the Remnant that had flowed through her body as she commanded the powers of time itself until the Doctor’s kiss had pulled it from her. Slowly she sat down on the sand, letting the wordless cry fade. Emotionally exhausted she let the tears fall as Seeker stood there in silent rapture for a long moment before coming to her and wrapping its cloak about her.

“It’s so hard sometimes.” She whispered in a tormented voice. “It’s like seeing the universe as a god and at the same time we’re so close to being killed or worse. I can’t stop… I don’t want to…but sometimes…and I know he loves me and he would do anything to save me but…”

~I [UNDERSTAND].~ Seeker chirped gently. ~You cannot [live/exist/survive] on the [edge/precipice] of [life/existence] and [death/destruction] [always/constantly].~

“Sometimes I wish I’d never met him.” She admitted wretchedly. “That none of it had happened. But then I would never have seen…everything.” She whimpered. “I wouldn’t have met you.”

~And that is why you [stay/remain].~ Seeker replied softly.

Rose nodded, wiping her eyes. “He’s such a good man; saved so many people. But he’s had to make terrible choices no one should have to make. When I first met him he was…sharper. More dangerous. Like…he smiled a lot but I could tell there was coldness under that smile, like it was a mask. But now…”

~Now he is [warmed/melted] by your [connection/care/love].~ Seeker murmured.

Rose nodded as she wrapped her arms around Seeker’s middle, hugging the traveler tightly again as Seeker let out a long gentle note, holding her in its cloak. The sounds of flutes and violins playing in perfect harmony filled her ears as the gentle, calm emotions contained in them stilled her turbulent thoughts and feelings. Finally she looked up at the expressionless mask, stroking it gently with her fingertips.

“You’re a wonderful person Seeker. Don’t ever believe otherwise.” She told it in a soft, intent voice.

Seeker bowed its head in thanks. ~You make my [Glyph/soul/identity] sing with [gladness/joy/happiness] when you [emote/say/commune] so.~

“Rose!” The Doctor called from high above, his carpet slowly floating downwards. “Seeker! How do things look down there?”

Collecting herself and wiping her face, Rose quickly stood, stepping out of Seeker’s cloaked embrace as the figure also stood up. “It’s quite dark but not too bad! Where’ve you been?”

“Carpet suddenly took off on me!” The Doctor said, half way down the hole. “Ruddy thing took me all over the rooftops, saw some really neat architecture! I should have a bunch of archeologists visit this place, they’d have the time of their lives! What about you?”

Rose smiled, shaking her head in amusement. “My carpet decided to ditch me right over the hole; luckily Seeker was able to catch me.”

The Doctor quickly floated down and disembarked from his carpet, walking over to her quickly and looking her up and down. “You alright?” He asked in concern. “Your eyes are red.”

Rose nodded, her gaze a bit clouded. “Yeah, I just got a little freaked out from almost falling to my death.” She laughed half-heartedly. “You’d think I’d be used to it now, considering.”

The Doctor gazed at her gently, staring into her eyes for a long moment. “We can always go home for a while if you need a break Rose.” He assured her. “Even I get homesick sometimes and your Mum makes a cracking good cup of tea.” He smiled affectionately.

“I know it’s just…good to hear sometimes.” She said, her smile widening a bit. “Shall we?” She asked, glancing around.

The Doctor nodded. “Why don’t you have a look around while Seeker and I check out the statue?” He suggested, pointing to the highlighted figure in the distance. “I promise we won’t start the show without you.”

Rose nodded with a smile before walking towards some of the partially buried arched ruins. The Doctor began to walk at a leisurely pace towards the statue with Seeker walking beside him.

“She opened up to you, didn’t she?” The Doctor asked quietly, his face neutral as he stared straight ahead. “You saw her soul.”

~[RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR] is [filled/replete/full] of [gentleness/tenderness/compassion].~ Seeker agreed with a soft chirp. ~When [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR] [laughed/cried/released] her [glyph/soul/identity] I [felt/touched/knew] her [glyph/soul/identity] [completely/truly/fully] for a short [time/duration]. It was [wonderful/beautiful/magnificent] and yet [sad/tragic/anguished]. [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR] has [known/understood] the power of [eternity/omnipotence/ALL] and the [touch/reach/closeness] of [death/destruction/oblivion].~

“Rose is certainly someone special.” The Doctor stated, his voice becoming husky with emotion. “There’s no one like her in the entire universe.”

[Your [voice/soul/commune] [tells/informs] me you [care/love/adore] her.~ Seeker said with a quiet chirp.

The Doctor nodded. “I do.”

Seeker let out a powerful burst of sound, unintelligible even with the screwdriver acting as a translator but the Doctor could sense the great swell of chaotic emotion that filled it, from powerful adoration to sad acceptance.

The Doctor looked over at Seeker, his eyes sympathetic. “You’re becoming attached to her.”

~Her [Glyph/soul/identity] is unlike any I have [encountered/observed/known].~ Seeker told him.

The Doctor sighed quietly, his gaze a trifle sad. “Have you ever met any other Rythulians Seeker?”

~I have never [experienced/known] [companionship/friendship/love] until now.~ Seeker admitted with a sad chirp.

The Doctor put his arms around Seeker’s shoulders and hugged the cloaked figure briefly in camaraderie.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen when all this is done.” The Doctor stated quietly. “You’re welcome to come with us if you want, after you’ve finished your journey to the mountain. Rose’s heart is big and I know she cares about you, I saw what transpired when I looked into her eyes, but she may not be willing to return all of the same feelings you feel for her. She opened up to you for a moment when she was high on adrenaline and shaken with fear but she won’t always be willing to let herself go like that, especially considering the kind of messes we get into on a regular basis. Can you accept that, can you accept that she won’t love you in that way, and still care about her as you do now?”

Seeker remained silent for several moments before letting out a series of quiet chirps. ~I [know/understand/realize] her [love/adoration/care] for you and the [CONNECTION] you share. [All/everything] [RED-FLOWER/TIME-PREDATOR] is, was [entwined/interwoven] in her [soul/commune/song] to me. I would not attempt to [break/interfere/subvert] your [CONNECTION] to her.~

The Doctor nodded with a calm smile. “Then I think we can find a place for you in the TARDIS if you want.”

Seeker inclined its head as they approached the circle of markers surrounding the statue, the figure itself lit in cool white light from a hole in the ceiling above.

“I think I found something over here!” Rose called to them a moment later.

Turning to their left they could barely make her out in the dim light of the massive underground room. The Doctor and Seeker walked briskly over to the arched wall with a solid piece of flat wall connected to it. Noting the signature pair of markers the Doctor gestured with a hand and Seeker sang its soul song, making the wall reveal its information. The mural depicted a city split by a large canyon, the bridge connecting the two broken in the center. On either side of the bridge stood rows of figures in white, their backs to the figures on the opposite side of the bridge. Above them two pieces of broken cloth flew.

“So, things did start to go downhill.” The Doctor murmured, sliding a hand along the mural’s surface. “Something happened, something major and irreconcilable that caused a split between the people of this city. Maybe even the race as a whole. The connection they shared via the cloth was broken.” He mused.

Looking over at the statue, he focused intently on it. “And I’m pretty sure whoever we talk with via the statue will know what.”

Waving them onwards they quickly moved to the area within the markers with Seeker belting out a note to activate them. As soon as the circle appeared they sat down.

FLASH

Within the white void stood the white-cloaked figure of one of the Remnant. Unlike the others that stood tall and facing them, this one stood with their back to them, its head bowed and seemingly lesser in stature. Looking at each other in confusion the trio slowly made their way to the side of the figure.

 _You have come._ It stated, its voice lacking the powerful presence of the others, making it seem almost mortal in comparison. _The Others told me you would._

~You stand as one defeated and broken.~ Seeker stated quietly.

“What happened here?” The Doctor asked quietly.

Rose said nothing but slowly walked over to the figure and hesitantly rested a hand against the white cloak. The figure’s head turned to look at Rose and though the white and gold face mask showed no emotion she could feel the anguish and sadness radiating from it.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered to the figure. “You’re in so much pain…Is there nothing we can do?”

_Even with the power of volition through the time streams your companion possesses…even if you could summon the power of the Time Wolf as you once did…we do not deserve such mercy._

“Everyone deserves mercy.” Rose murmured gently, gazing up at the figure.

The figure turned back to stare off into the distance. _This pain…this anguish…it is a far more merciful punishment than we deserve for what we did to ourselves…to our world. We lived in Paradise but transformed it into Hell through our own foolishness and pride. Look upon our works and see the price of folly!_

Vision shifted and they beheld the large series of buildings on top of the mountain they had seen in the last vision. As the mural moved to the right, down the mountain, the lights in the buildings began to flicker and die as the abundant cloth that filled the sky began to vanish. Soon the lights failed entirely as the last of the cloth disappeared as well. The scene moved to two figures in white, connected by a red cloth that suddenly turned their backs on each other, the connection cloth snapping abruptly before vanishing. As more of the mural was revealed the massive city became dark with clouds and thunder as massive serpentine machines with a single glowing eye at the head moved about the sky above it, firing beams of blue energy at each other. On the ground, clear battle lines were drawn with rows of figures in white standing against each other while fire and death thundered in the background.

Finally the vision ended, leaving the three of them despondent and unwilling to speak as the light from the circle died, leaving them in the silent darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

The large ironwork door slid ponderously open with a dismal _clang_ as the others stood, the dim light from the glyph markers barely highlighting their faces.

“So there was a war.” Rose said quietly.

The Doctor nodded. “Their civilization grew so big that the cloth or power they were harnessing became scarcer until their supplies finally dwindled.” He said soberly. “Eventually they started fighting over the last scraps of it until it became a massive civil war.”

Seeker was markedly silent for several moments before it spoke. ~My [ancestors/progenitors/Rythulians] have done terrible things. It [saddens/grieves] me to [learn/know] that such [great/powerful/wise] as they could become so [corrupt/dark/twisted].~

The Doctor rested a comforting hand on Seeker’s back. “Yours isn’t the first world to fall prey to pride and arrogance.” He murmured. “I’ve seen it on a million worlds and the story is always the same. Even the Time Lords, one of the most powerful and ancient civilizations in the universe, couldn’t stave it off. It took them having near absolute power for over 10 million years before the corruption really started to take hold but by the end of it…they were twisted shadows of their former selves.”

~Are your [words/thoughts/commune] meant to [comfort/reassure/calm] me?~ Seeker asked with a bitter chirp.

The Doctor shook his head slowly. “No.” He murmured. “But I know exactly how you feel at this moment because I’ve lived it. So has Rose. We’re here for you Seeker, just like you were there for Rose a few minutes ago.”

Rose moved to Seeker and wrapped her arms around the traveler comfortingly with her lips close to the points on its cowl as she whispered “You held me when I cried; let me hold you now.”

Seeker let out a series of long, mournful tones as Rose slowly rubbed Seeker’s back with her hand, the Doctor standing next to the cloaked figure in silent comfort. Finally Seeker looked up at her, its expressionless mask radiating a sad resolve.

~Thank you.~ Seeker chirped wearily.

Rose nodded, planting a gentle kiss on Seeker’s forehead, just under the golden band. Seeker looked up at her before gently brushing the edge of its cloak along Rose’s cheek in response.

“Shall we?” The Doctor asked quietly.

Seeker turned to the sober Time Lord and nodded briefly. 

“What about Sir Wilgums and Frederick?” Rose asked, looking back towards the ceiling.

“I think they’ll be fine.” The Doctor stated, watching the carpets fly about the city. “Let them have their fun. I don’t think we’ll be doing any more sand surfing for a bit.”

Walking along either side of Seeker supportively they walked through the iron door. The underground tunnel in which they found themselves was dark and starkly lit with cold blue and white light from small holes and openings in the ceiling, making the previously gold and orange sand white as snow. As they walked, small sand falls came into view along with more large pieces of partially buried masonry.

“Even underground they built big.” The Doctor mused as they passed under a tall multi-story series of archways. “When it was fully active this place must have been a sight to see, not to mention the city above.”

“Do you think we could go back and see it?” Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged. “Can’t see why not. How about it Seeker, would you like to see what your ancestors were like before all this happened?”

~I would [prefer/desire] not.~ Seeker replied sadly. ~It would only cause me [more/greater] [pain/discomfort/unease] [knowing/understanding/remembering] their [fall/decay/corruption].~

“We could help them though; show them what we saw.” Rose suggested to the Doctor. “Make sure that the civil war never happens. You said it yourself, the Time Lords didn’t know about this planet.”

“That’s only because they destroyed themselves before they came onto the galactic scene or started to muck about with time travel.” The Doctor replied seriously. “Had they continue to progress something tells me they would have become a people to take notice of. Still,” the Doctor smiled slyly, “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to go back and gather some information about a long lost civilization. I might get another doctorate out of it if I write a thesis about it.”

Passing another sand fall they came to a long rectangular stone tube with interspaced grillwork along the sides and top.

“Wonder what this was for?” Rose wondered as they walked inside it.

“Possibly a maintenance shaft or ductwork.” The Doctor replied as he looked about. “Rather small compared to the rest of their building designs so it was probably tucked out of the way somewhere if you needed to get to the central air or something. “ He smiled.

They quickly passed through several such tunnels with small flocks of cloth flitting about like fish before coming to one that sat at an angle, resting against another such shaft.

The Doctor nodded. “What did I say? Underground passageways like in the basement of office buildings. Little maintenance ducts and walkways to get to places quickly.”

~There [seems/appears] to be a [soul/Glyph/identity] here.~ Seeker stating, staring into the grillwork of the tilted passage.

“Lovely!” The Doctor said. “Let’s say ‘hi’!”

Taking hold of Seeker’s shoulders, the figure leaped nimbly onto the top of the flat tunnel, the mouth of the leaning tube before them. At the bottom sat the glowing form of a soul orb. Climbing into it, Rose and the others slid down inside it. Though Rose and Seeker attempted to communicate with it, the orb paid them no mind. Shrugging its cloak Seeker stepped forward, prompting the glyph to imprint upon them. Soul light swirled around them, the backs and palms of the Doctor’s and Rose’s hands now covered in glyph markings. Climbing back out of the tube they walked to the end of the shaft before dropping down onto the sand. Walking a bit further up a small incline they came to a massive chamber several stories high and just as deep. The rays of the sun filtered down from various openings as tall strands of cloth, at least 50 feet tall slowly waved back and forth amidst a collection of connected, elevated tubes. 

“Wow!” Rose murmured as she looked around. “It’s like being under the ocean.”

“The illusion is quite good given the color and lighting.” The Doctor acknowledged, looking out over the scene. 

~What is this [idea/concept] you [said/mentioned]?~ Seeker asked. ~I could [feel/sense] [vastness/depth] and [power/strength] within it but that was all.~ 

“The ocean?” Rose asked. “It’s a great big body of water.”

Seeker merely let out a confused chirp.

“You don’t even know what water is, do you?” The Doctor asked. “Have you ever seen any form of liquid?”

Seeker merely shook its head. “I [know/understand] not.”

Rose frowned in confusion. “Surely there must be some liquid around here. The planet can’t be completely dry can it?” She asked the Doctor.

“It just might.” The Doctor replied. “But even if it’s not, Seeker hasn’t traveled far enough to encounter it. Such an idea is completely outside its frame of reference.”

“Well…it’s like those sand falls, but…wetter.” Rose floundered.

Seeker just looked at her, cocking its head.

The Doctor gazed at Seeker speculatively for a moment before refocusing on the long drop in front of them. “Going down I suppose.”

Nodding, Seeker allowed them to take hold of its cloak before slowly gliding down to the sandy bottom of the enormous space. The three of them walked over to a large clump of tall ribbons connected to a partially buried tunnel. Stepping amidst the cloth, the Doctor’s glyphs began to glow bright white along with the ribbons before his feet slowly lifted off the ground. Grinning like a child loose in a toy store he began to float higher and higher until he floated near the tips of the ribbons. Looking to his right he saw a similar collection of them approximately 10 feet away atop one of the elevated tunnels. On a hunch, he leaped towards them, the runes on his hands and feet extinguishing briefly before he became entangled in the new set of tapestries, their power allowing him to float once again. Disentangling himself he slowly floated down onto the roof of the tunnel. A moment later he saw Seeker and a furious Rose fly up to him.

“That was an incredibly stupid thing to do!” She announced angrily as her feet touched the slab. “What did you think you were doing? What if you’d miscalculated the jump?!”

The Doctor gave her a slightly disparaging look. “Really Rose, if I can calculate hyper-dimensional and temporal coordinates for flying the TARDIS in my head, do you think I can manage a simple arc distance calculation? That’s like me asking you if you know what two plus two is.”

Rose rubbed her forehead in frustration. “Yeah, yeah, I know, super-advanced alien with a brain the size of a planet, I get it. Just warn me next time you want to do something like that!”

~I had [full/complete] [confidence/assurance] he would be [fine/unharmed].~ Seeker stated.

Rose snidely stuck her tongue out at the traveler, making Seeker warble in confusion.

“Nice view from up here.” The Doctor stated, looking around before his eye caught a glowing glyph nearby. “Looks like there’s another one here.” He said.

Taking hold of Seeker again, the Rythulian leaped across the gap separating the pair of tunnels before activating its glyph power, allowing them to float carefully into the short T-shaped tunnel where the glyph sat. Once again more glyphs were added to Seeker’s scarf, the length of it now longer than it was tall with the Doctor’s and Rose’s feet now covered with glyphs. Moving out of the tunnel they came to several more lengths of cloth waving slightly in the gentle breeze like seaweed. Taking Rose’s hand, her and the Doctor moved amongst the tall ribbons, floating gently into the air. Rose grinned, feeling herself being supported by the ribbon’s energy in harmony with her own glyphs. 

“This could make for some fun dancing.” She commented.

The Doctor smiled. “I know a brilliant anti-gravity ballroom on Caligula 4. The parties there never stop. Maybe we’ll visit one day.”

"Love it!” She laughed gently in response.

Seeker watched them laugh and play from below with a hint of regret before it flew up to join them, the glyphs on its cloak allowing it to float next to the tapestries.

“Come on, still lots to see!” The Doctor grinned, grabbing hold of Seeker as Rose did the same. 

They quickly leaped through the air into another cluster of ribbons before jumping once more, landing onto a large platform under a massive archway. The next room was just as large as the first with massive grilled windows along the walls and vertical ribbons bobbing back and forth like beds of kelp down the center. Amidst the connected pieces of ribbon were smaller bunches of cloth that floated seemingly of their own accord. Unlike the small cloth pieces, however, these floated vertically in place like platforms. Leaping off the edge, the connected trio landed among the first cluster of ribbons, quickly floating upwards until they were able to leap to yet another batch. Upon reaching the new cloth form, Rose peered at it curiously. The figure was made up of several wide cloth pieces curled in on each other to form a bulb-like head with a single long ribbon trailing down from the center of it.

“Funny thing, it kinda reminds me of a jellyfish.” Rose said.

“Or a mushroom maybe.” The Doctor replied. “Given the underwater theme going on here, though, jelly-cloth seems appropriate.” He said, smiling at his little joke.

“Jelly-cloth it is then.” Rose decided before they leaped at it, making it light up. Upon reaching the top of it, the entire top spun in place as the cloths let out a simple warble.

“Ooh! Are they alive too?” Rose wondered. “Like Sir Wilgums and Frederick?”

“Possibly.” The Doctor mused, examining it with a critical eye. 

Rose carefully knelt down and rubbed her hand along one of the ribbons. “Good jelly!” She murmured. The cloth chirped softly for a moment but did not offer any further response.

“Just barely sentient then.” The Doctor said. 

“Or it just might find us boring.” Rose suggested with a smile. “Who knows what a jelly-cloth finds interesting.”

The Doctor snorted in amusement before they took their leave of the jelly, leaping across to more tall strands of ribbon. More jelly-cloths floated before them and they quickly bounced between each one, making their hands and feet light up with brilliant actinic light. More seaweed-like cloths followed until they came to another large portal at the other end of the massive room.

“I wonder what these rooms were for.” Rose said idly. “Lots of open space but hardly anything there, except ribbon.”

The Doctor shrugged. “Possibly some kind of warehouse or storage area given the large size. The ribbons and jellies might be their version of walkways or elevators, especially if they wrapped everything in cloth.”

Walking to the other side they found the floor partially caved in with the area ahead blocked by rubble. 

Looking down to the lower floor beyond, he shrugged. “I guess we’re going down.”

~It [seems/appears] that way.~ Seeker stated.

Helping them down to the ground they began to make their way through the corridor until they came upon the buried remains of one of the constructs they had seen in the desert. The structure’s tear-drop face and third eye were lit up and flashing with bright blue light at irregular intervals. The Doctor ran his screwdriver over the construct, examining it carefully. 

“Power source…using glyph energy most likely, maybe a collection of ribbons throughout its structure to animate it and give it flight.” The Doctor murmured to himself as he moved to the rear of the head. “Seems to be a seam here…” Fiddling with the settings on the screwdriver the hatch at the rear suddenly popped open. 

“Got it!” He exclaimed quietly before he began to dig around inside of the construct’s inner workings. “Miniature ribbons connecting each component…probably used for power conduction and data transmission.” He said distractedly. “Some kind of search beam function and it has a primitive kind of mouth…Central processing hub looks pretty well fried, I don’t think I’ll be able to get anything useful out of it.” He grumbled before sitting back on his heels, glaring at it.

“So no new ideas on what this thing did then?” Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged as he stood up. “Well, obviously it’s some kind of collection machine, given the mechanisms I saw. What it was supposed to gobble up, though, I’m not sure.”

“Trash machine maybe?” She asked.

“Could be.” The Doctor admitted, scratching his wild hair. “Come on. Nothing more to learn from this thing.”

As the continued down the corridor they began to see large statues of serpentine figures along the walls like cobras preparing to strike.

“Creepy.” Rose muttered, shivering as she looked around at them. “It’s almost like they don’t want us here.”

The Doctor looks at the statues blandly. “Just rock Rose. Nothing to fear.”

~I too [sense/feel] [darkness/evil/unease] about this place.~ Seeker chirped quietly.

The corridor suddenly widened into a massive room several stories high with a large statue in the center, depicting a serpentine figure similar to the ones against the wall. The statue’s boxy segmented body was curled at the top and each segment sported a pair of simple fan blade shaped wings that were folded back against it. Its head was square and in place of a face mask was a massive stylized eye. Stopping for a moment the trio looked up at the large, menacing figure. 

“Is that what those things in the desert really look like?” Rose asked.

“I do believe you’re right Rose.” The Doctor said, peering up at the statue. “Well, now I know how it looks when it uses its search beam anyway. The mouth is located just under the eye there.”

“Those flaps don’t really allow it to fly do they?” She asked.

“Well it’s certainly not aerodynamic.” The Doctor admitted. “But neither is the TARDIS and she flies just fine. Probably some kind of anti-gravity technology built into the wings to keep it aloft.”

“Oh look!” Rose exclaimed suddenly, pointing into the air. “Isn’t that Sir Wilgums?”

The others looked to see the carpet slowly wending its way towards them from the ceiling, moving past the statue as it chirped happily. Suddenly with a rumble that shook the room and a loud roar that echoed off the walls, one of the machines burst from under the sand, aiming towards the carpet.

“Wilgums!” Rose cried in dismay as the machine’s jaw closed around it with a splattering of golden light, the force of its lunge shattering the stone statue next to it, causing it to collapse. 

“Everyone back!” The Doctor shouted as they hid behind one of the walls. 

Peering around the entryway they saw the machine spread its wings wide, its eye glowing a baleful blue as it curled up before launching itself into the air, exiting the room via the open ceiling with a loud mechanical roar.

“This place just got a lot scarier!” Rose stated worriedly. “Poor Wilgums!”

~I [sensed/felt] there was [darkness/evil] here.~ Seeker chirped in dismay.

“Now we know why those things were strewn about all over the place.” The Doctor stated soberly. “We just encountered a Rythulian war machine. That vision made it pretty clear what they looked like but this clinches it.”

“Why didn’t it use its energy beams then?” Rose asked softly. “The vision showed that they had them.”

The Doctor shrugged. “Probably no need, it was just a carpet after all. No real threat to it.”

~I [desire/hope] to never [see/experience] that again.~ Seeker stated quietly.

The Doctor sighed. “Somehow I doubt that’s the last we’ll see of it. Come on.”

They carefully made their way through the room, sticking to the side of the wall in case there were more waiting under the sand. Moving slowly through an S-shaped corridor lined with more statues and grilled windows they came upon a much wider corridor where the floor angled concavely towards the center. At the end of the corridor they could see a flock of cloths floating about. Suddenly the machine from before glided silently into view from the right, its blue spotlight fixed on the ground as it passed through the center of the room from one side to the other, making them halt in tense silence. As it passed through a large opening on the left side of the room they slowly made their way into the room itself.

“Come on.” The Doctor murmured to them. “I want to see where that leads.”

Sticking close to the left hand wall they soon came to the large doorway the machine had gone through. Looking inside carefully, they noted another mural against the back wall. Moving to it Seeker activated it with a brush of its cloak, unwilling to sing and inadvertently draw the creature’s attention. The mural blazed to life revealing a pair of tall buildings. At the base of one of them was a shroud from which emerged the head of one of the machines, in front of which others like it proceeded in a straight line.

“Looks like a production line.” Rose muttered.

The Doctor nodded. “So they did mass produce these things in factories. No equipment here to do that so they probably built them elsewhere, unless it all got moved elsewhere towards the end.”

“They might have built them here.” Rose suggested. “The rooms are big enough to hold a bunch of equipment as well as them.”

The Doctor nodded. “True enough I suppose.”

~More and more I [regret/shame] what [ancestors/progenitors/Rythulians] have [done/created].~ Seeker chirped sadly.

“Just like everyone else they did great things and terrible ones.” Rose commiserated. “My people aren’t any better. It doesn’t seem like anyone is, really.”

“There’s good and evil in all of us, even me.” The Doctor stated quietly. “All we can do is more of one than the other.”

The trio slowly made their way down the long, high corridor. Suddenly the flying machine appeared at the end of it from the left, highlighting the cloths in its search beam. The light immediately went from calm blue to angry red as the machine let out a menacing rumble. A second later it dived at the cloths, engulfing them before speeding off, leaving behind sad trails of golden light. The group made their way through the dimly lit expanse, passing from one section to another as more inactive machines in striking poses appeared along the sides of the room like dark sentinels.

“I sure hope these things don’t come alive and eat us.” Rose murmured fretfully, looking around at the still guardians. 

“I think the only reason that one started up was because it detected Sir Wilgums nearby.” The Doctor mused quietly. “There are no carpets here.”

“Except for—” Rose began before she was interrupted. 

On the opposite side of the room, another machine roared to life, its’ eyebeam blazing blue and its wings spanning wide before it shot towards the ceiling, exiting through a large hole.

“…Seeker’s scarf.” She finished timidly.

Seeker looked at its scarf ponderously before it turned to the others. ~Then would it not be [better/efficient/safe] if I [continued/made] my [journey/pilgrimage] alone?~ It asked quietly.

“Don’t be silly!” Rose replied with a hint of steel in her voice. “Just because things got a little scary doesn’t mean we’ll abandon you!”

“Sorry mate.” The Doctor grinned. “You’re stuck with us.”

Seeker inclined its head, chirping happily. ~Thank you!~

The pair made their way to the end of the segmented room, passing by a highlighted tube in the middle of the walkway before moving to the next area. The large room was lined with pillars and frozen machines as it gently inclined downward. At the end of the room they could see one of the flying machines ponderously moving toward them up the center, its search beam scanning the ground before it. 

“Quick, off to the side!” The Doctor hissed, motioning for them to move. 

Hiding behind one of the pillars, the silent creature passed them by, floating into the room they had just vacated. A few seconds later the second creature that had awoken followed after it.

“It looks like they’re on some kind of patrol pattern.” The Doctor mused quietly. “Well, assuming they stick to that we should be okay. Come on.”

Moving along the side of the great corridor they came to a wall comprised of archways. Slipping around it, another soul orb glowed brightly in the dismal light.

“I didn’t expect to find you here.” The Doctor murmured to it as they came closer. “Sadly we don’t have time to chat right now.”

Soul light engulfed them as motes swirled about them, this time a glyph imprinted itself on their foreheads, between their eyes while Seekers scarf grew a few more inches. Slinking along, they came to a long and deep incline, the walls of the room much more closed in than before. 

“No choice but to go down the middle.” The Doctor muttered with a frown. 

As they began making their way down the steep incline they suddenly heard an angry roar from above as they were suddenly blinded by a bright light. Looking up, they saw one of the flying machines hovering several yards above them, previously cloaked in darkness. Suddenly the light switching from blue to red as the machine roared again. 

~[Hold/grab] onto me!~ Seeker shouted urgently.

Grabbing onto its cloak, making their glyphs glow, the Rythulian quickly shot forward, dragging them along. With an angry roar the machine’s head smashed into the sand bare feet from where they had stood before it coiled back around, staring at them hatefully with its single eye. At the far end of the massive room the second machine soared towards them, its own eye becoming a malevolent red. Seeker began to slid about, zig-zagging back and forth across the sand as the machines flew after them, uttering angry bellows. Up ahead at the bottom of the room, clusters of glyphs began to light up against the far wall. Markers flew by as Seeker slipped between them with expert skill, the Doctor and Rose barely holding on. Seconds later they reached the bottom, sliding onto a smooth stone courtyard covered with glowing glyphs, the monsters seconds behind him. Suddenly the entire structure flared with golden light from a thousand glyphs, creating a massive shield of light. The creatures impacted the light with the sound of a giant gong being struck before wheeling away, fleeing towards openings in the ceiling, allowing the light to fade though the glyphs continued to glow brightly, illuminating the entire area.

Rose and the Doctor slowly caught their breath as Seeker stood there silently.

“That was brilliant Seeker!” Rose exclaimed.

~It was not my [actions/will] that caused the [machines/guardians] to [retreat/flee].~ Seeker stated.

“No, it was the building.” The Doctor said, looking around. 

The massive face of the building was covered in various designs, every point of light a glyph that had been inscribed into the stonework, including the wide courtyard in which they stood. Before them, between two raised globes that glowed with glyph light, sat a raised platform into which was set a statue with markers.

“This place is beautiful.” Rose breathed, taking it all in, the soul light shining on her face. “It’s like a temple to a god.”

“It might very well be.” The Doctor agreed quietly, looking around. “All these glyphs, all this power… where did it come from?”

~Perhaps the [ancestor/progenitor/Rythulian] [connected/attached] to the [statue/idol/figure] can [tell/inform/enlighten] us.~ Seeker suggested.

Nodding they walked up the single stair to the statue where three fanned markers sat on either side of it. Singing to the statue to activate it, they sat down in the circle of light that formed.

FLASH

The white void appeared to them once again with the split mountain in the foggy distance. Next to them, gazing at the mountain stood another of the Remnant.

_Welcome._ It intoned gently. _Welcome to the shrine._

“A shrine to what?” Rose asked.

_Remembrance for the dead_ _and the_ _hope we held onto._ It stated somberly.

“Hope for what?” The Doctor asked.

_An end to the terrible conflict you have witnessed through our power and memory,_ the figure stated sadly, a _nd the possibility of redemption through those who would come after._

“Come after?” Rose asked tentatively. “You mean…”

_Observe._ The figure stated as it sung.

Once again they beheld the terrible violence that consumed the city as the guardians they had encountered flew through the air, destroying everything in their path. Below the city, rows upon rows of white robed figures lay buried beneath the sand. As the scene moved, the rows of bodies continued. Slowly the sand began to cover the buildings until they were lost to the desert, the desolate wind blowing over a series of graves until the scene stopped at a small prominent hill. From the glyph and star-filled sky a few points of light descended until a figure in a red cloak appeared.

Rose barely had time to gasp in shock before the vision faded, leaving them in front of the statue.

“That was…” She murmured, staring at Seeker.

~I, yes.~ Seeker agreed quietly. ~It [seems/appears] I am to be a [redeemer/savior/restorer].~

“How?” Rose asked.

Seeker simply shook its head.


	6. Chapter 6

The ironwork grills towards the rear wall slowly slid open and stylized lanterns began to glow with soft, warm light, illuminating the tall corridor beyond it. The Doctor, Rose, and Seeker slowly stood as the circle of light faded beneath them.

Seeker turned to the Doctor. ~I have [seen/felt/known] from your [soul/Glyph/identity] that you are a [savior/redeemer/restorer] to many. Perhaps you can [describe/explain/impart] what it [means/purpose/role]?~

The Doctor focused on Seeker, his gaze heavy. “It’s not a role to be taken on lightly.” He replied. “All I ever wanted to do was help people, not become their savior, but they decided that what I was. It’s a terrible burden to take upon yourself; those you save expect you to do the impossible on a regular basis and they can turn on you very quickly when you don’t live up to their expectations. Assuming, of course, that your people can be restored to what they were. I don’t envy you Seeker.”

The cloaked figure nodded ponderously before it began walking towards the open doors, its walk wearier than before with the Doctor and Rose trailing after it. They soon entered the main room, a massive thick pillar several hundred feet high immediately grabbing their attention. The entire room was built around the stylized column with iron walkways ending in grilled platforms on various levels. To the left sat a blank wall with a twin pair of markers, lit by a trio of lanterns at the top.

“Good a place as any to start.” The Doctor muttered as they made their way across the sandy floor. 

The blank wall was built into a recessed niche above which the lanterns slowly spun in gilded gold cages of vaguely Oriental design. The markers beneath the wall, unlike the plain grey stone in the desert were colored in shades of red and peach, a stylized bird with outstretched wings in black sitting in the center.

Rose bent down to look at them. “It reminds me of a Phoenix rising from its ashes, except it’s in black and kind of skeletal instead of red and gold.” She said.

The Doctor shrugged. “Probably just design aesthetic. Seeker, if you please?”

Nodding, Seeker sung to the wall, making it glow. However, unlike the previous murals which had shown past events relating to the planet’s earlier civilization in simple stone, this one continued to shine with golden light as it depicted a cloaked figure atop a hill with some grave markers to the right, an almost perfect replica of the final vision they had just seen.

Rose stared at it in surprise. “How in the world did they do that?”

“The Remnant most likely.” The Doctor suggested. “We don’t really know what the limits of their powers are. It’s possible they had the ability to read time streams to a certain extent. They did mention foretelling that a redeemer would come; obviously that’s meant to represent our friend here so they had this wall created as a symbol of hope.”

Suddenly a series of loud clanks were heard behind them. Turning around, the bottom of the pillar in the center of the room began to glow with glyph light. Rising from the bottom, dozens of glyphs in columns and squares began to light the base of the tower until the first level, easily 30 feet high, was covered in glowing light. At the same time light began to flow from them, filling the bottom part of the chamber with misty, swirling light. Instantly the glyphs on Seeker’s scarf and the hem of its cloak lit up, lifting it off the floor. At the same time the Doctor’s and Rose’s glyphs lit up as well, allowing them the same ability.

Rose’s eyes lit up as she took in the room as well as her weightlessness. “It’s beautiful!” She said in a breathy voice as she looked around. “Is this…?”

“Pure glyph energy.” The Doctor affirmed quietly, looking around. “It’s like a hundred glyphs suddenly decided to let go of all their energy at once.”

Rose looked at him in fear. “You don’t think they actually--?”

“No.” The Doctor assured her with a gentle smile. “No, I don’t think they did that just to create this. The glyphs are still glowing; they probably just allowed part of their energy to emerge into the room like the one that created those cloth pieces in the desert. It’s just manifesting itself differently here.”

~I [feel/sense] as though I am [surrounded/covered/immersed] in [life/creation/power].~ Seeker said with a series of soft chirps.

“You very well might be.” The Doctor replied, gazing intently at the misty glow around them. “If this is the stuff that the cloths were animated with then this is a kind of life energy.”

They slowly began to float towards the tower, the Doctor and Rose making swimming motions to propel themselves along as Seeker flapped its cloak.

“Is this what it feels like to be you?” Rose asked Seeker with a smile. “Because it’s brilliant!”

~I cannot [know/comprehend] since I have never been [other/different] than myself.~ Seeker replied.

Floating to the glowing wall of glyphs the Doctor and Rose ran their hands along it.

“Perfectly smooth.” The Doctor mused. “No indentations where the glyphs are set into the stonework…Almost like…”

_We were beyond such [simple ideas/creative limitations] even before we began the [creation/construction] of this great [artifact/monument/memorial]._ A sexless voice stated in a vaguely amused way.

The three of them started in surprise before looking about in confusion.

_To your left and up above._ The voice stated, amusement still coloring its tone.

Swimming to the top of the mist they found a glowing orb floating on a small overhang just above the top of the energy pool. Taking hold of Seeker they quickly landed on the slab of stone.

“You can talk?” Rose asked in surprise.

_You are [surprised/shocked/amazed] that I am able to do so?_ It asked a bit arrogantly. _Did you not [commune/sing/speak] with the others?_

“Let’s just say that the others outside weren’t exactly talkative.” The Doctor drawled as he knelt in front of the glowing glyph. “I’m the Doctor, this is Rose, and this is Destiny-Seeker. Who might you be?” He asked as he waved his screwdriver in front of the glyph.

_That [device/object], while [useful/helpful] as a translator, makes my [energy field/Glyph/substance] [fluctuate/change/alter] unpleasantly. Please remove it from my [vicinity/location]._

“Sorry.” The Doctor murmured, placing the screwdriver back into his pocket. “So who are you then?”

_I am the [soul/Glyph/essence] you [see/observe] before you._ It stated. _I have no other [designation/Glyph/soul]._

Seeker let out a burst of harmonics to identify itself to the glyph.

_I greet you Seeker-of-Destiny_ . The orb stated. _It has been a very long [time/duration] since I have [spoken/communed] with any others besides those here._

“Why are you here?” Rose asked curiously.

_I am here because I [choose/decide/elect] to be._ The orb replied simply. _Are you not also here because you have [chosen/decided/elected] to be? You ask very [strange/odd/weird] questions._

“Well, we aren’t from around here.” Rose admitted with a smile. 

“What is this place, exactly?” The Doctor asked, looking around for a brief moment. “The Remnant said this was a shrine.”

_Then your [question/query] has been [answered/imparted/granted]._ The orb replied with some confusion. _Why do you [question/query] further when you [know/understand] what this place is? Your thoughts are [strange/odd] indeed._

“Nuances again; how I wish I had a proper translator.” The Doctor frowned. “The Remnant we spoke with didn’t tell me everything; I still had questions to ask .”

_Then that is its [choice/decision/will]; who are you to [gainsay/oppose] it?_ The orb asked with a hint of annoyance. _It is not [beholden/obligated] to you nor do you have [command/control] over it to [demand/insist] such answers. Be [happy/joyful/content] with the [information/knowledge/wisdom] you have been [given/granted/imparted] and [learn/discover] the rest if you [choose/decide]. You are [arrogant/egotistical/overbearing] indeed if you think they must [answer/inform/explain] all to you because you [demand/order/require] it._ The orb stated reproachfully. _Perhaps this is why the others [chose/decided/determined] not to [speak/commune] with you._

“I’m sorry we don’t mean to be rude.” Rose apologized. “The Doctor just gets terribly excited about learning new things and this whole place is like one big puzzle he can’t solve.”

~We do not [demand/order/require] [information/knowledge/wisdom] but we [request/ask/inquire] so that we might [understand/comprehend] what happened to my [ancestors/progenitors/Rythulians].~ Seeker explained. ~The [ancestor/progenitor/Rythulian] stated I was to be a [savior/redeemer/restorer] but I do not [know/understand] how.~

The orb pulsed silently for a moment before it spoke. _I do not [have/know/contain] the [knowledge/wisdom/information] you seek._ It stated. _I [know/understand] only what goes on within the [shrine/memorial]. But because you [seek/search/look] for something [important/significant] I will [aid/assist] you._

The orb suddenly exploded into motes and swirled around each of them, imprinting itself on their bodies and scarf.

“I think you’re a little over-eager to find out what’s going on here.” Rose commented to the Doctor. “You might want to rein it in a little or we won’t get anywhere.”

“Not my fault they’re a bunch of self-satisfied navel-gazers.” The Doctor grumbled with a disgruntled frown. 

Rose giggled quietly at the Doctor’s vexation before Seeker turned to look out over the mist. ~There appears to be a grill with [cloth/ribbon/scarf] flying about it.~ It said. ~I [believe/think] it would be [prudent/wise] to make our way there.~

Nodding they took hold of Seeker’s cloak as the Rythulian took a great leap, arcing across the open space before landing gently on the grilled platform, the light from the gilded lantern beneath it illuminating the area. The cloth pieces swirled around them uncaringly until Seeker sang to them, activating their glyphs and causing them to swirl the trio into the air.

~I [see/observe] another platform across the [room/chamber].~ Seeker informed them. ~Hold on!~

Seeker flew forward quickly using the height gained from the cloths and glided around the room to land on yet another platform with cloths. Doing the same across a series of similarly-situated but higher platforms they soon came to another landing with a niched wall and its markers. Seeker once again sang to it, this time revealing him travelling through the desert with Sir Wilgums and the other carpets, the factory buildings off to the side. Once again the sounds of unlocking machinery were heard as more rows and columns of glyphs became ignited around the sides of the central pillar. More light flowed into the massive chamber, making their glyphs glow constantly and allowing them the power of unaided flight. Across the way sat a doorway and small room built into the center of the column. As the mists rose higher jelly-cloth suddenly materialized in a spiral pattern around the column, the closest off to their left. Propelling themselves forward they landed on the first of the jellies which spun its bulb as it lit up, warbling quietly at them. Rose happily petted it before leaping higher onto the next jelly-cloth, the Doctor and Seeker following after her as she laughed playfully. 

~I never [grow/become] [tired/weary] of her [laughter/emotion].~ Seeker chirped happily as they floated higher.

“Me either.” The Doctor smiled, enjoying the free flight as they made their way up the jellies. Flying out of the glyph light they landed on one of the last jellies before taking hold of Seeker again. They then flew across the room to another niche. 

“I could play in here all day!” Rose exclaimed happily as Seeker walked over to the wall. “Everything is just so amazing in here!”

“It is fun, flying about like this.” The Doctor commented with a smile. “And I’d love to study all of these glyphs. I could spend a century or two at least doing research.”

Rose snorted. “Only you would find research fun!” She teased.

Singing to the wall, the next mural displayed Seeker walking through the underground caverns with its seaweed-like ribbons as a war machine looked on. As more glyphs appeared on the pillar and the room filled with more glyph light, a loud and ponderous bass tone emitted from the far wall behind them. Looking around they saw what appeared to be an enormous cloth creature emerge from a side room, glowing brightly in the glyph light. 

“Oh my!” Rose murmured as she stared at in wonder, the Doctor also temporarily speechless. 

The creature’s body consisted of a long straight ribbon, its head a series of trailing ribbons in the overall shape of a hammer-head. Twin pairs of trailing wings attached to each side of it and its tail was a long single ribbon. The creature flowed sinuously into the room, weaving up and down as it came closer.

“It’s like a cross between a hammerhead shark and one of those eastern dragons!” Rose muttered softly. 

“Cloth dragon.” The Doctor suggested quietly. “Wonder if we can ride it?”

~I would [assume/expect] so.~ Seeker stated, gazing at the monstrous cloth as it began to move past the platform they stood on.

Each of them took a quick leap and landed into the middle of the dragon’s back, making the cloth bow slightly before the glyphs on their bodies allowed them to float above it as it drew them away from the mural.

“I want to see where our big friend here was staying.” The Doctor said. “Come on!”

He quickly bounced down the length of the dragon’s body before leaping off the end of its tail, swimming towards the large gap where it had emerged from, Seeker and Rose following after him a moment later. As they entered the antechamber and slowly landed on the flat stone floor they found themselves in a mausoleum-like circular room. At even intervals around the room stood tall straight ribbons connected to the ceiling like hanging banners, in the center stood a large block of stone with a mural set into it with a single large lantern hanging from the ceiling above it. Walking slowly into the room, Seeker harmonized softly, bringing the mural to life. Unlike the others in the main room this one was made of simple stone, depicting the distant past. Against a backdrop of the stylized pillar and various high and intricate windows, a procession of white-cloaked figures stood. On the far left of the mural lay a single Rythulian, a marker next to its head and a glyph floating above it.

“The Remnant was right.” The Doctor murmured, gazing intently at the depiction. “This is where they came to die.”

“Such a beautiful place, and yet, so sad.” Rose said quietly, looking around before moving aimlessly towards the glowing ribbons to her left.

~There is a [heaviness/ponderousness/weight] about this place.~ Seeker agreed. 

“The weight of a thousand souls pressing down on us along with countless centuries of time.” The Doctor said softly. “All contained in this chamber.”

Brushing aside one of the ribbons, Rose glanced over before blinking in surprise. “Found another orb here.” She informed the others.

Seeker and the Doctor walked over to where Rose was standing. Behind one of the slim square columns between which the ribbons sat, floating an orb.

“Funny, it being back here.” Rose commented. “Were you playing hide and seek or something?”

The orb chose not to answer.

“Another stuffy one.” The Doctor mused as they converged on it. 

Motes of light surrounded them, creating more glyphs on their foreheads, Seekers scarf now easily 8 feet long. Walking around the edge of the room behind the ribbons they encountered no other orbs though Rose briefly saw what looked like a large and segmented bug-like creature made of light scuttling about the ceiling before it vanished into a gap in the wall.

“Ugh! I hope that’s not what passes for cockroaches around here!” She muttered to herself.

Seeker chirped at her curiously but she waved its question off as they exited the room. Looking about, they saw another entryway and open area within the column just below the mist line. Jumping off the floor they floated upwards towards it before touching down on the grillwork. In the middle of the small and open chamber sat another orb.

“You lot are prolific in here, I have to say.” The Doctor smiled.

_This is the [final/last] repository of our [people/race/culture]. Does this [surprise/shock] you?_ It asked mildly.

“I suppose not.” The Doctor admitted with a smile. “I have to say I just love the architecture! Lots of work went into it. Very elegant!”

_Every stone, every piece of metal, was [carefully/painstakingly] [carved/shaped/molded]._ The orb replied. _We [had/possessed] nothing but time and will. I heard you speak to the other down below and so I have decided to assist you as well. I have grown somewhat tired of these surroundings._

A moment later the orb burst apart, covering them with motes of light that transformed into another glyph. 

“Kind of surprising that they get bored, considering all the other ones we’ve met.” Rose commented.

The Doctor shrugged. “It takes all kinds to make a universe Rose.”

As they moved to the other side of the small room and out the other entryway, they saw a raised platform a dozen feet above them. Swimming up to the platform they leaped out of the golden mist, landing onto the metal grillwork. Immediately a long wide ribbon began to come into existence with one end connected to the grill, the other end extending itself via a golden, sparkling edge until it reached another similar platform across the room.

“Just like activating the ribbons attached to the war machines.” Rose pondered. “Only in reverse.”

“Machines…” The Doctor mused softly to himself, staring at the ribbon thoughtfully before his face lit up excitedly. “That’s it!” He cried. “Nano-machines!”

“What?” Rose asked, bewildered.

“Think about it!” The Doctor said enthusiastically. “All these ribbons coming together and breaking apart like that and yet they’re intelligent! Nano-bots! Billions upon billions of them! An entire society based around intelligent nanites! Get enough of them together and you can create anything you want to! Flying carpets! Walkways that appear and disappear at will! Get a flow of anti-gravity particles going, channel it via the machines themselves; on such a small scale the particle layering on the material is perfect even if it moves! That’s how the cloths were made! That’s how all of this works!” He exclaimed, stretching out his arms to encompass the entire chamber before laughing happily. “Brilliant!”

~A [fascinating/interesting/intriguing] [idea/concept].~ Seeker stated. ~But there is a [flaw/inconsistency/error] in your [statement/theory/idea].~

“What’s that?” The Doctor asked with a challenging smile, his eyes sparkling.

~Me.~ Seeker stated simply.

The Doctor frowned in confusion.

“He’s right, you know.” Rose said after a moment’s thought. “The cloak that Seeker wears isn’t cloth like this, it’s his skin. He’s not made of nanites.”

“Are you sure about that?” The Doctor asked contemplatively, looking at Seeker sharply. “Some of the things we’ve asked you you’ve been rather vague about. I know the screwdriver doesn’t translate perfectly but even still, it’s not bad.”

~I do not [understand/comprehend].~ Seeker stated in confusion.

“You said you’ve never seen the sun set.” The Doctor reminded him as he took a step closer to the figure. “You’ve never even seen a liquid; more than that you don’t even know what a liquid is. You also said you’ve always been in the form you are now, never changing, never growing. All organisms start small and grow as they mature. But you…” The Doctor murmured intently at Seeker, his gaze sharp as knives as he rested his chin in his hand.

“Doctor what are you saying?” Rose asked uncertainly, an edge of nervousness in her voice.

“Seeker, will you let me examine your memories?” The Doctor asked softly.

Seeker gazed at the Doctor silently for a moment before nodding.

Placing his fingertips gently on the sides of Seeker’s cowl, the Doctor stared into the Rythulian’s glowing eyes before opening his own mind and extending it outwards.

FLASH

The Doctor’s eyes flew open, his stare laser-like in its focus before he drew back, his face becoming thoughtful.

“What did you see?” Rose asked quietly, unsure whether she wanted to know the answer or not.

“Seeker is a lot younger than we took it for.” The Doctor stated quietly. “It was right when it said it had never seen the sunset. It hadn’t lived long enough to see it.”

“What?” Rose asked confusedly.

“Seeker’s first memories are of sitting in the sand watching an orb fly over it in the sky, away from the mountain.” The Doctor murmured, his gaze still fixed on the cloaked and silent figure before them. “About an hour later it met us for the first time.”

The Doctor turned to look at Rose. “Seeker has only been in existence for one day Rose.” He said in a soft intense voice. “It appeared fully formed in the desert. It doesn’t feel any need to eat or drink.”

He turned to look at Seeker again. “Seeker has a soul attached to it, the Glyph on its chest confirms that, but its body…it’s just a container for it or a way to move about. If we removed that mask I doubt there would be anything underneath but more glyph light.” He concluded. “Seeker’s body is light enough to glide on the wind but strong enough to bear our weight when using the glyphs. That kind of adaptability…”

“Doctor, stop it!” Rose ordered firmly, her voice trembling slightly. “You’re talking about him like he’s some kind of unfeeling machine or a car with a brain in it! Didn’t you just say he had a soul? Funny how you skipped over that bit to focus on all the external parts of him like he’s some new puzzle for you to play with!”

~You [spoke/suggested] removing my [face/mask/covering] just now.~ Seeker chirped with quiet unease. ~I do not [believe/think] you would [like/enjoy] having your [face/covering/skin] removed for [study/experimentation]. Your [thoughts/desires/words] begin to [worry/frighten/concern] me.~

Rose stepped over to Seeker, wrapping her arm around its shoulders. “You’re scaring him Doctor and to be honest you’re freaking me out. So stop it!” She demanded, glaring at him.

The Doctor blinked at the realization before looking closely at the two of them before lowering his head shamefully. A moment later he looked up at the two of them, his face apologetic.

“I’m sorry Seeker.” The Doctor said softly before looking at Rose. “You’re right; I got caught up in my thoughts and didn’t realize who I was speaking to. Can you forgive me?” 

“You promise not to do anything to him?” Rose asked.

The Doctor’s eyes became pained at the question and the lack of trust it implied but he nodded. “I promise.”

Looking to Seeker again, the Doctor began to vocalize a sorrowful, low chord. It was in no sense musical or even pleasant to listen to but it was filled with his emotions and desires, a mix of sad regret and a desire for forgiveness. After a moment the Doctor stopped vocalizing and Seeker stood there, still and quiet for several long seconds before it moved to the Doctor and embraced him with its cloak.

~You are my [friend/companion].~ Seeker chirped softly. ~Even if I am [made/created] as you [say/suggest/believe], I am not [less/diminished] because of it.~

“No.” The Doctor replied softly, resting a hand on Seeker’s shoulder before embracing the cloaked figure as well. “No you’re not. And I’m honored to have you as a friend.”

Rose smiled widely at seeing the two of them reconcile before speaking up. “Well, now that you’ve come to your senses shall we move on?”

The Doctor grinned at her. “Absolutely. I can’t wait to try floating on this carpet myself!”

Seeker let out a happy burst of sound before jumping onto the length of carpet, immediately angling its body forward and shooting down the ribbon. Rose carefully rested a foot against the cloth only to have it support her weight via the glyphs, making her float above it. Grinning she began to run down the length of the carpet, her feet not leaving any indentations as the Doctor followed after her a moment later with a happy laugh. As they reached the end of the first length of cloth that was attached to another grilled platform, a new cloth began to weave itself into existence at the other end of the grill, seemingly anticipating their journey as it connected to another, higher platform. The three began to race around the edge of the room, following the carpets from grill to grill until they came to another mural. Holding onto Seeker they quickly leaped into the empty air, the Rythulian using its scarf to fly them over to the landing. Activating the mural, its golden light showed Seeker walking down a steep hill with a large city in the distance, reminiscent of their sand surfing. With a loud clank the great column once again began to light more glyphs until only the very top was uncovered by them. The golden mist rose higher until it covered them once again, the top of the mist just reaching a small platform atop the column. The top of the column itself was pointed with a wide base and a single tiered staircase that led up to another meditation stone with markers alongside it while other pairs of markers stood like sentinels on either side of the staircase. The far wall was dominated by a massive arched window that opened to the outside. Jumping into the mist the trio swam to the staircase, making their way up before standing on the flat tip of the tower, surrounded by markers and the stone. The Doctor took one long, last look around before nodding to Seeker. Letting out a harmonic burst the markers around them lit up, the circle appearing before them. As they stepped into the circle a quiet boom rolled through the chamber, causing them to look up. At the top of the ceiling sat a wide open circle, allowing in the daylight. Around it, in geometric formations, more glyphs began to awaken until the entire ceiling was covered in luminous soul writing. Releasing their energy, motes of light began to flow down towards them in multiple small streams of energy. As the small whirlwind of light swirled around them, light filled their vision as they expected. However, when their sight returned they were shocked to see the white-robed Remnant standing before them in the same room in which they stood, its body covering the communication stone as it hovered before them while the white light of the void flowed around them, the glyphs upon the walls just as bright.

“It’s here!” Rose said in surprise, staring up at the figure.

“How are you able to manifest yourself here?” The Doctor asked quickly.

_You sit in a place of power unequaled and you can ask how such a thing is possible?_ It asked. _It is by the will of the glyphs and their power that allow me to speak with you directly._

“I have questions.” The Doctor said with quiet respect, remembering the orb’s words from before. “And your wisdom is deep. Will you answer them?”

_What I choose to answer is for me to decide._ The figure stated with solemn firmness. _But if I believe the knowledge will be of use to you, or allow you to grow in wisdom I will answer. Knowledge that is useful is a powerful tool but useless knowledge is wasteful at best and dangerous at worst. Be content with what I will teach you and do not over-reach yourself, for even you cannot know everything Time Lord._

“You know who I am.” The Doctor said. “All of you did apparently. How could you know what I was? My people never learned of your planet.”

_Just as we foresaw the coming of One Who Seeks Their Destiny, so we saw you as well._ The figure replied. _In the time before the Last War we knew neither of the wider universe nor its peoples for we were content with our existence. As our pride grew we turned inward, focusing on our own achievements and reveling in them, uncaring for what lay beyond. By the time the war was over, there were none left to ponder such mysteries. But for those of us that reached the mountain, power and wisdom were granted to us._

“Yes, the war.” The Doctor continued. “The cloth or technology, whatever it was, became scare and you turned on each other in a massive civil war. All but a few died but some of them obviously came here. Why?”

_As the war consumed our people, some became ashamed of what we had done and so we fled here, into the depths of the underground where few went, to try and salvage what we might._ The figure explained. _Here we locked ourselves away; hidden from the machines we had created, barricaded from the horrors being perpetuated in the name of greed and pride. Here we perfected our arts of creation, artistry, and peace so that when the war finally ended we could rebuild our world._

“But it was too late for that, wasn’t it?” The Doctor asked his voice quietly sober.

The figure nodded ponderously. T _he war raged far longer and more terribly then we could have ever imagined. More of us found this place in time though not many compared to the number of the dead that continued to increase. Still we waited and when the fighting ceased we returned to the surface, armed not with weapons but with the will and drive to rebuild. Unfortunately we found only death. The plants and animals were gone, the waters evaporated, the land nothing but dust and sand. All life had been extinguished, there was nothing for us to build upon, no way to restore our world._

“The only place you had left was here.” He murmured, gazing up at the figure gloomily.

_We returned to the last place we called refuge to wait for our inevitable deaths._ The Remnant intoned. _A few of us decided to make one final journey to the Mountain to try and find a solution or perhaps an escape from the inevitable but most remained so that they might enjoy companionship and peace for a short time more. In that time they decided to create one last masterpiece, that which you see around you, in order to preserve as much of themselves and their knowledge as possible ._

The Doctor looked at the figure shrewdly for a moment before his eyes widened slightly in realization. “The column.” He breathed. “This chamber! It’s…a kind of Ark isn’t it? That’s what the mural in the antechamber means!”

_Yes._ The figure replied. _They discovered a way to transform themselves into pure souls, converting their physical bodies into energy. Some remained untethered as you have seen in the floating glyphs but most allowed themselves to become part of the structure itself, all that they are is stored in this place to help ensure the wisdom and last knowledge of our people does not vanish. They will defend this place and power it even until the end of time if need be. This is a monument to those that dared to hope for a future even when it became futile and a last refuge of all that was beautiful and good._

“Brilliant!” The Doctor murmured in awe, looking around at the walls and ceiling, every inch covered with glyphs. “Personality, will, power, everything that these people were, contained in a single glyph! There must be thousands here! Tens of thousands! Matter to energy conversion on that scale…assuming normal human body weight multiplied by the speed of light squared…you could create a small sun with the amount of stored power here!” He said to Rose in excitement. 

The figure shook its head slowly. _Even with all your wisdom and experience you are still like a child, thinking in terms of raw power. The subtleties of converting a physical body into soul are still beyond you._

“I think it’s beautiful.” Rose stated softly. “I’ve seen the heart of the TARDIS; I know what its soul looks like. These people managed to do something like what the TARDIS did to me.”

_Even the height of our creations cannot compare to the organism you call the TARDIS._ The figure told her. _We have not the power to travel through the vortex of time but we are able to see events as they relate to our world. We have not the powers you possessed Time Wolf, but what we have is enough._

~The previous Remnant stated that I was to become a savior or redeemer but I know not how this can be.~ Seeker interrupted. ~I require enlightenment if I am to accomplish this.~

_What you seek I cannot give you._ The figure replied gravely. _This manner of enlightenment cannot be told; it can only be experienced if you wish to truly understand it and become such as we have foreseen. But know this; you have received much enlightenment already and the skin you wear is the color of blood laced with golden hope for a reason. This is not the only life you have lived, though you remember it not._

“You’re talking of reincarnation!” The Doctor exclaimed intently, staring at the figure. “That’s what the vision meant when it showed Seeker being created in the desert from the sky!”

_Yes._ The figure nodded. _One Who Seeks Their Destiny was once one of those who committed the very atrocities you have witnessed through our visions. Others bearing the colors of shame and atonement have walked these sands and spoken to us over the centuries. One Who Seeks Their Destiny is but one of many, given new life by the mountain’s power._

“Then Seeker isn’t meant to redeem all of the Rythulians.” Rose said quietly. “Just himself.”

The figure nodded ponderously again before addressing the Doctor directly.

_I know the power you wield Time Healer and I know your will to aid those who have no hope. Such desires are admirable and you have saved many who might otherwise have perished. But here and now I charge you as a guardian of this world, do not attempt to interfere in our history. No matter what you have learned, even with your status as Lord of Time, you do not have the right to meddle in what has come before. Let others learn from our folly; while many died it was a just price to pay for the destruction they brought about due to their horrible pride and arrogance. If you dare to alter events as you desire our people will learn nothing and the events we have shown you will simply happen at a later time. In the end, we were a very stubborn people. Your pleas would fall on deaf ears._

“That doesn't mean we shouldn’t try!” Rose argued.

The figure turned to look at her. _You were a being of omnipotence briefly, Time Wolf. In those brief but shining moments you saw time in all its glory, something even we cannot do. But even our wisdom, incomplete though it is, has shown us the folly of what you suggest. Do you think we did not attempt to do the same when the Great Separation began? Many sacrificed themselves to prevent that war but to no avail; the word of two unknown aliens would change nothing. Justice has been served. Though we grieve for our people, we would not change what occurred even if we had the powers of the Lords of Time at our disposal. Be at peace, Time Wolf, and remember that all actions have consequences. Your companion knows this all too well though he hides it skillfully._

The Doctor’s eyes became clouded. “You know about the Time War.” He stated softly.

_While we commune with you, your minds are open to us, to a degree. We know not the details of the War you ended but we see the sorrow and pain in your heart that comes from such terrible deeds. You know the price of power, the price of arrogance, the price of consequence and you run from it whenever you can, seeking to uplift those in need or removing the heel of oppression from others. At the same time you bear the arrogance of your race within you, looking down upon others with smug superiority. But perhaps that can be excused, for you knew no other way for centuries. But know this; even you cannot run forever Time Lord. Life will catch up with you no matter how you twist and turn through Time’s corridors in your living machine._

“Living machines…Is Seeker one too?” Rose asked timidly.

_One Who Seeks Their Destiny is no machine._ The figure replied. _Your companion’s thoughts about tiny machines, while fascinating and understandable given how he thinks, are inaccurate. I will not divulge our knowledge of the cloth to you; it would not aid you in your endeavors for you cannot create it. Only the mountain is capable of pure creation._

The group was silent for a few moments until Seeker spoke. ~What must I do to atone for the sins I have committed?~

_Observe._ The figure intoned. 

White light filled their vision and when it vanished the figure still stood before them but the walls around them had changed to a vast and complete mural like the ones they had seen in their previous visions, focusing on the figure of Seeker atop the hill. As they looked around, following the narrative they could see the figure climbing the cloth bridge they had created, to meeting the cloth creatures in the desert and entering the city, to sand-surfing down a vast incline until they reached the metropolis. The figure walked through the underground passages beneath a vast and intricate city, encountering the war machines, before making it to the tall chamber in which they stood. Looking even further, they saw the figure struggling against powerful winds at the base of the tall mountain itself. 

Seeker turned to look at the figure that seemed to stare back at it before it turned to gaze through the massive window, the split-peaked mountain in clear view.

_You now know what you must do._ It intoned gravely. _Your last and greatest test will show you who you truly are and what you are capable of._

Seeker turned to look at the mountain also, their profiles and manner strikingly similar as though a solemn weight pressed down upon them both.

“What will happen to him?” Rose asked anxiously.

_That remains to be seen, for it will be One Who Seeks Their Destiny’s choice in the end._ The figure replied. _It is the same choice that all the others who have come before faced as well._

Suddenly light filled their eyes for a brief moment. When they could see again, the room had returned to its previous appearance with the glyphs shining brightly. 

The figure in white was nowhere to be seen.

Up ahead, across the stone bridge that connected the tip of the column to the rest of the structure, a pair of grilled doorways opened slowly with a clang.

~I [feel/sense/believe] we are [reaching/nearing] the final [part/stage] of this [journey/pilgrimage].~ Seeker chirped. ~I am [grateful/glad/pleased] to have the two of you [accompany/travel/stay] with me.~

Rose smiled at the Rythulian. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The Doctor nodded in agreement. “We’ve gone this far, no way we’re leaving you now. Come on, you lot, let’s go see the mountain!” He grinned.


	7. Chapter 7

The trio passed through the short passageway that led out of the chamber. High cliffs stood on both sides of the wide path they faced, a large broken bridge spanning it and the mountain looming before them with white snow covering the ground.

“You’ve probably never seen snow before, huh Seeker?” Rose smiled.

The Rythulian scuffed some of it with the edge of its cloak. ~It is like sand, only lighter. And colder.~ It mused with a chirp.

Rose scooped some into her hand and allowed the snow to melt, forming a small pool of liquid in her palm. “This is water, Seeker.” She said, showing it to the Rythulian. “Liquid.”

Seeker examined it curiously, dabbing at it with the edge of its cloak. ~[Strange/alien/odd]. It is an [interesting/curious] [substance/material].~

“I wouldn’t drink it if I were you Rose.” The Doctor said idly from nearby. “No idea what it’s made up of.”

Rose nodded, letting the warm liquid fall to the ground with a quiet splish.

“Come on you lot, it’s not going to get any warmer up here.” The Doctor insisted.

As they walked along the wide path, small forlorn patches of short ribbons sat frozen and glazed over with ice. As they passed one of the two stone struts holding up the bridge, Seeker sang to one of the small clumps of ribbon. The glyphs upon them began to glow melting the ice and allowing them to wave in the breeze for a few moments until the snow and ice slowly encroached on them again, resealing them in their icy prison. 

“Not exactly hospitable is it?” Rose asked as she shivered, rubbing her arms. “I wonder why they built places here when it’s so cold.”

“Proximity to the mountain I expect.” The Doctor replied. “Come on.”

Trudging up an incline they heard a roar in the distance. 

“Look!” Rose cried, pointing into the sky.

Within the swirling clouds a war machine flew towards a mass of carpets with a bellow. Smashing into them, one of them fell to the ground, the others consumed by the machine’s maw before it flew higher into the low clouds, disappearing from view.

”Just when I’d hoped we’d seen the last of those things.” Rose grumbled, glaring at the place where it had vanished. “I still haven’t forgiven them for Sir Wilgums.”

“Looks like we’ll have to use a bit of stealth then.” The Doctor said, scanning the sky with his eyes before motioning them forward.

As they rounded a bend in the canyon they came to a large stone plinth similar to the markers. Unlike the smaller stones however, these were taller than any of them as well as wider with a serpentine makeup and wedged top.

“What do you suppose this is?” Rose asked as the Doctor walked up to it, Seeker standing a few feet away. “A marker for someone important?”

The Doctor shook his head as he ran his hand over the stone. “There’s no glyph marking on it, for one thing. Also it looks like there’s a sequence of them the further along you go.”

Suddenly a powerful breeze blew through the canyon, making them stagger back. 

“Seeker!” Rose shouted over the howling wind as the Rythulian was blown back several yards to land in the snow. 

A moment later the wind subsided and Rose ran to Seeker, the Rythulian picking itself up, its cloak covered with snow and rimmed with frost.

“You okay?” She asked.

~I do not [believe/think] I [enjoy/like] snow much.~ It chirped ruefully, shaking itself off.

As Seeker walked past her she frowned. “Seeker, what happened to your scarf?”

Seeker turned to look at it with a curious chirp. Where before it had been filled with glyphs, several inches of them were now gone. As they watched, bits of golden glyph began to flake away, turning into small motes of light before fading.

“What in the world?” She asked, taking hold of it in concern. 

Suddenly the glyphs on her body lit up as well as Seeker’s own, though the light was dimmer than before. Slowly the glyphs reappeared on the scarf until it was covered again. Rose looked at Seeker in puzzlement.

“How did you do that?” She asked.

~I did nothing.~ Seeker replied. ~It [seems/appears] your [touch/contact] [allowed/granted] the [Glyphs/souls/identities] to return.~

“Huh.” Rose muttered in vague surprise, rubbing the cloth absently with her fingers before letting it drop into the snow. A few seconds later a few motes of light began to flake off of it.

“It’s the cold that does it.” She mused. “Or something in the snow itself. Weird.” She looked up at Seeker and smiled impishly. “I suppose I’ll just have to keep you close and warm, won’t I?” She teased suggestively.

~It would [seem/appear] so.~ Seeker agreed, missing the tone in her voice completely.

Rolling her eyes at Seeker’s apparent naivety she put an arm around her friend’s shoulders, walking along with it and making its cloak glow gently along with her own glyphs. They returned to the original plinth just as the wind began to pick up again.

“Get behind it!” The Doctor instructed over the rising wind. 

Huddling together with Seeker between them, the wind blew furiously for several seconds before subsiding.

“On to the next one!” The Doctor said. 

Ducking behind the next one they once again avoided the powerful long gusts that blew through the canyon. The group slowly made their way through the deep trench, stopping at each of the high stones to avoid being blown away by the powerful winds. Even pressed between the two of them, Seeker’s cloak began to get covered with frost, its scarf quickly losing its powers as soon as both of them left its side for more than a few moments. Finally they managed to slip into a tight passage at the base of the cliff where the trench ended, emerging a few moments later into a wider sloped area covered with more grave markers. 

“Great. Another graveyard.” Rose muttered as she put her arm around Seeker again, their glyphs warming each other.

Off to the left they heard a quiet chirp. Frowning, Rose walked over to investigate a small collapsed piece of masonry in which lay a frost-covered carpet, chirping weakly.

“Ohh! Poor thing!” Rose murmured to it, gathering it up in her arms. The glyphs on her body immediately began to glow, igniting the carpet’s as well, freeing it from the frost. Chirping gently it wiggled out of her arms before flying about them, though it flew slowly and rather listlessly.

“Poor guy must have been sitting out here for ages, freezing its tails off.” She said sadly, making the Doctor and Seeker nod.

“Come on,” he suggested, “still a ways to go yet. Our new friend can tag along and keep warm if it wants.”

The carpet followed them for several yards before it decided to nest under another piece of masonry. Though Rose tried to coax it out of its new home it refused to budge regardless of the frost that began accumulating on it. The Doctor walked over and patted her on the back.

“Can’t save them all Rose.” He murmured to her gently. “Come on. Seeker’s looking a bit nippy and I think it prefers your company to mine.” He twinkled with a gentle smile.

Pouting at him, Rose sighed and stood up before walking over to Seeker, brushing the snow that was accumulating on its cloak.

~That is [pleasant/enjoyable].~ Seeker said as she gently removed the snow.

“What is?” She asked.

~The way you [brush/touch/smooth] my [cloak/skin/covering].~ Seeker chirped.

Rose’s cheeks colored slightly as she smiled. “You like it when I rub your back?”

~Your [touch/contact] activates the [marks/glyphs] on my [cloak/skin/covering], warming me.~ Seeker said. ~And…your [touch/contact] is [pleasant/nice/enjoyable] when you [brush/smooth] it.~ Seeker admitted.

“You’ve never been touched like this before I suppose.” Rose said in consideration as she gently brushed away the last of the snow. “Being only a day old you wouldn’t know what it’s like.” She smiled gently at Seeker before teasing the twin points on its cowl with her fingertips. Seeker suddenly shook itself, letting out a series of surprised chirps.

Rose giggled at this. “I think you’re ticklish Seeker!”

~That was a very [strange/odd] [sensation/feeling].~ The Rythulian chirped in surprise. ~Perhaps that [part/area] of my [skin/covering] is [sensitive/delicate].~ 

Rose giggled more at this. “Oh I could make some crude jokes about sensitive areas but I’ll refrain, you being so young and all.”

Seeker chirped at her in confusion, making Rose laugh as the Doctor just watched with a smile and shake of his head from a few yards away. 

“Come on you two! Have your play date later!” He called to them.

Rose continued to snicker as they continued up the snowy incline until the pathway came to an end, overlooking a massive gulf. Off to the side of the cliff face sat a smaller trail.

“I’d hate to fall down there.” Rose commented pensively. “It’s so foggy you can’t even see the bottom.”

The Doctor nodded, guiding them up the cliff-side pathway until they came to a broken set of stairs. As they slowly climbed it, huddling together against the fierce winds they came to a small and simple square room built into the cliff face. Within the room sat a series of markers and what appeared to be an inactive lantern on a stand. The Doctor examined it carefully as Seeker began to sing to the various markers, activating them. Suddenly light bloomed from the lantern and the room was filled with warm light, making the frost melt from their clothes.

“Oooh! It’s like a heat lamp!” Rose sighed happily, resting her hands before it to warm them.

“Much better than a fire, I must say.” The Doctor smiled before looking up. “It looks like there’s some cloth here too. Wonder what they’re here for?”

~Let us [learn/discover] why.~ Seeker suggested, letting out a burst of song.

The cloths swirled around them, lifting them into another room above the first. At the back of the featureless niche sat another mural wall. Smiling, the Doctor walked over to it with Seeker letting out more harmonics to activate the markers. The wall blazed, depicting two different sets of cloaked figures riding atop the war machines they had seen. Each machine seemed to fire bolts of energy at the other as they faced off above several buildings.

“This must have been the site of one of their battles in the war.” The Doctor stated quietly, gazing at the picture. “Don’t recognize where exactly, it might be further up the path.”

Turning and walking back they jumped down into the lower room.

“Too bad we can’t take this lantern with us.” Rose commented as they left.

“Would be nice.” The Doctor agreed. “Be a bit heavy to carry around though.”

As they continued to walk along the path they came to a bridge with a frozen strip of ribbon connected to the opposite side, their end of the ribbon curling upwards and away from them. On the far side of the gulf sat a stout wall with a doorway.

“They sure don’t make these bridges to last.” Rose said. “I don’t think I’ve seen one intact one since we got here.”

“I’m not so sure.” The Doctor replied thoughtfully. “It’s awfully convenient for the cloth to be in that position. Almost looks like a kind of drawbridge, keeping out invaders. That room back there could have been a guard station.”

Stepping up to the ribbon Seeker sang to it, partially melting the ice covering it and making it movable. The tapestry slowly dropped until they could carefully walk across it, the ribbon quickly becoming frozen again. Crossing to the other side they walked up the stairway into the foreboding, arched doorway. Upon crossing the threshold they were assaulted by a blast of wind that nearly forced them backwards before they found themselves in a wide open area blanketed with more snow. Trudging up the hillside they encountered more large plinths as well as the scattered remains of a number of war machines littering the ground.

“Looks like this is where that battle we saw earlier took place.” The Doctor mused.

Suddenly, with a roar from within the swirling clouds, another war machine surged at a flock of flying carpets, smashing into them and engulfing them before swooping around in a wide circle, casting its spotlight onto the ground and searching for other prey a few yards ahead of the group.

“Quick, under here!” The Doctor ordered, moving into one of the large blocky segments of a dead war machine, the others following him a second later.

The brilliant search beam slowly moved over their makeshift bunker before moving on, allowing them to peek out.

“That was close!” Rose muttered looking up into the sky as the war machine flew off.

Bracing against the blustering wind with Seeker between them they slowly pushed their way through the battlefield before the Doctor noticed a single plinth standing off on its own to their left. 

“Come on, I want to see where that leads to!” He told them over the wail of the wind.

Sliding and slipping about, they slowly made their way across the expanse until they came to a large rocky enclosure. Sighing in relief they slipped inside the round cave-like area. Off to the side, built into the wall was another simply designed room.

“Another lantern guard station maybe?” Rose asked.

“Hope so.” The Doctor muttered. “If I didn’t know better I’d think my blood was beginning to congeal from all this cold.”

~I too am [starting/beginning] to feel [tired/worn].~ Seeker admitted.

Walking over to the small interior room they came to another mural which Seeker dutifully activated. Upon the wall they saw rows of cloaked figures in white marching towards the mountain nearby.

“The Remnant making their way to the mountain like they said?” Rose asked.

The Doctor nodded. “Probably. Either that or the last of their army marching on the mountain in some kind of final battle. Hard to say.”

Leaving the wall behind they walked to the end of the natural cavern, coming out several hundred feet ahead of the plinth they had found, the wind just as blustery as before as they looked over the high ledge where they found themselves. Taking hold of Seeker’s cloak they floated down into the snow before making their way forward. Climbing the next hill they came upon the scattered remains of more war machines. Ahead, one of them slowly flew forward, its search beam out in front of it. Ducking into one of the pieces of the dead machines, they managed to hide from the search light as it swept over them. Motioning them forward silently they quickly moved from box to box, keeping an eye out as the machine slowly circled overhead in a holding pattern, occasionally scanning the ground for them. Up ahead in the distance they were able to make out a high wall with a trio of archways leading into a small tight space between the cliffs.

“Come on!” The Doctor murmured to them. “It won’t be able to get to us there!”

Biding their time until the machine passed over them again, they struggled towards the gateway. Suddenly the machine twisted around in a circle, highlighting them in its search beam. 

A second later it turned a hateful red.

“Move!” The Doctor yelled, dragging Seeker and Rose towards the doorway mere yards ahead.

As they ran through the thick snow the machine reared back its head before shooting forward, aiming at Seeker with a roar. Rose screamed as the machine plowed into the Rythulian who let out an anguished wail as the machine scooped it up in its mouth, dragging it into the sky by its scarf.

“Doctor! Do something!” Rose yelled frantically as the Doctor jerked his screwdriver from his pocket.

As Seeker struggled in the machine’s grasp its scarf broke from the strain, sending the Rythulian tumbling to the ground as the machine flew off with a bellow.

“Seeker!” Rose cried, racing to the fallen figure, the Doctor a step behind her. 

Rose knelt next to Seeker, lifting its head as its eyes flickered before glowing steadily again.

~Please…[help/assist] me up.~ Seeker requested with a weak chirp.

Rose gently got Seeker back on its feet, gently brushing off its cloak as the Doctor examined the Rythulian. “Anything broken?” He asked as he gently probed Seeker’s back and sides for injuries.

~I [appear/seem] to be [whole/undamaged].~ Seeker replied with a series of quiet chirps. ~Just [worn/tired/exhausted].~ 

Rose spoke up. “Let’s get out of here before that thing comes back.”

The Doctor nodded as they helped Seeker walk forward, the wind buffeting them until they were finally able to reach the shelter of the high walls. The group moved several feet in so as not to attract the thing’s attention before they sat down briefly on some rocks.

“Well that was a bit tense.” The Doctor said ruefully. 

“Too bad you didn’t get a chance to use your screwdriver on it and stop it cold.” Rose said.

“You know, that’s a good point.” The Doctor mused, pulling out his screwdriver and examining it. “I wonder if I could calibrate it to disrupt the cloth circuits in that thing’s head…”

“Not right now; it’s bloody cold out here and I’m freezing my butt off on this rock.” Rose remarked. “Let’s get somewhere warm first and then you can fiddle with it.”

The Doctor sighed dramatically before replacing it in his pocket and standing up. “Come on then.” He said.

Rose stood and helped Seeker up. “Are you going to be able to make it?” She asked in concern.

~I must.~ Seeker replied wearily. ~[Fortunately/thankfully] I have you two to [aid/assist] me.~

They made their way through the crevice, enjoying the lack of wind as a few carpets placidly flew overhead, chirping to each other. Coming out on the other side they came to an open archway. Nestled within the cliff walls was small open area covered with cloths and machine parts. Making their way to the other side they discovered strands of frozen, upright ribbon next to the cliff wall, above which sat multiple large archways. Singing to unfreeze the tapestries, they quickly flew upwards, landing on an outcropping of rock before climbing more of the cloths. Passing under the archways they began to make their way up the tight rocky pathway.

~I [hope/desire] to [find/locate] a place of [warmth/heat] soon.~ Seeker chirped tiredly. ~Even with the two of you [warming/heating] me I am [cold/freezing].~

Rose turned to Seeker and wrapped her arms around the Rythulian, hugging it against her and rubbing its back briskly.

“I won’t let you freeze Seeker.” She murmured, melting the snow and ice chips on its cloak with her hands.

~I [take/obtain] [comfort/peace] in that.~ Seeker chirped quietly. ~You are [soft/restful]. I [feel/believe] I could [sleep/rest] against you.~

Rose smiled gently and kissed the side of Seeker’s head. “You’re learning how to talk to a girl pretty quickly.”

Seeker let out a curious chirp, making Rose shake her head in fond amusement. “Maybe one day you’ll get it. Come on you, we can make it.”

Nodding, they slowly parted though Rose kept her hand on Seeker’s back as they moved further up the pathway, the Doctor walking a few feet ahead of them. Coming to an open doorway the Doctor poked his head through it only to pull back immediately, his hair looking rather disheveled.

“Wow that’s icy!” He exclaimed, smoothing his hair back. “That wind’s nasty up here.”

Sighing in frustration Rose patted Seeker’s back before they made their way forward. Looking about they stood on a small railed walkway that ran along the side of a massive and high fortress wall, the ground below lost in the swirling mists. The wind immediately assaulted them, blowing their hair about and making them shudder as they steadied themselves, its coldness cutting through their clothes. Making their way around various boulders along the railed walkway they held onto each other as the wind tore around the wall with tremendous force, slamming into them almost constantly. Taking shelter behind one of the large stones near a stairwell they waited for the wind to die down before running up the stairs as quickly as they could, resting against the wall as another long gust buffeted them. 

“We’re going to have to make this one count!” The Doctor cried over the howling wind. “Those rails are broken off over there! One wrong step and it’s over the side! Make for that carpet! Looks to be a bridge to the next bit!”

Waiting several seconds they quickly moved toward the ribbon that was connected to the other end of the broken walkway. Suddenly a massive gust of wind slammed into them, blowing them back. 

“Rose!” The Doctor yelled as he frantically grabbed onto a stump of rail, reaching out his hand.

“Doctor!” She screamed as her and Seeker flew over the side of the wall, down into the mists below.

Rose screamed as Seeker quickly twisted about. Colliding with her, the Rythulian enfolded Rose in its cloak, activating the last of its glyph power to slow their fall.

~Be [calm/unafraid]!~ Seeker urged her as she struggled instinctively. ~I have you!~

Panting with fear she wrapped herself around Seeker as they floated onto a lower walkway with Seeker landing gently on top of her, their glyphs glowing gently.

“Rose!” The Doctor shouted from about fifty feet above them. “You two okay?” 

“We’re fine!” Rose shouted back. “We’ll find a way back up!”

Seeker quickly stood along with Rose, the two of them making their way along the windy walkway. Finally they came to the edge of the wall with a series of ribbons looking like weeds piercing the stonework.

“Come on!” Rose encouraged as she wrapped an arm around Seeker. “We can do this.”

Nodding they entangled themselves in the ribbons, making them glow before they began jumping up the side of the wall, the series of ribbons allowing them to flit from one to the next. Finally they emerged onto the balcony just past the ribbon that the Doctor had used to cross over, landing gently on solid ground.

“Glad to see you two are okay.” The Doctor smiled before looking at the archway before them with a frown. “It’s going to be tough getting through that mess; looks like a gale going on through there.”

As if on cue, a roll of thunder shook the walls as a powerful gust of wind blew through the doorway, making their clothes flap about them.

~Come.~ Seeker stated with grim finality. ~I [wish/desire] to [finish/end] this.~

Nodding they wrapped their arms around Seeker’s back before stepping into the massive graveyard. Immediately they were assaulted by winds so powerful it nearly blew them off their feet. Staring up at the mountain from its foot they could see lightning crashing about as thunder rumbled angrily. Another blast of wind, nearly gale-force in its intensity slammed into them, tossing them about and making them slide across the snow. Seeker suddenly felt something tear as its already weakened scarf tore from its shoulders, blowing away in the wind. Rose and the Doctor scrambled to their feet, helping Seeker up before forcing themselves forward yard by yard. As they passed a multitude of grave markers Seeker’s cloak began to grow icier and icier from the intolerable conditions. The Rythulian attempted to chirp to its companions but so loud was the wind it could not even hear itself. 

“Come on!” The Doctor yelled encouragingly. “There’s got to be a cave up ahead. Just a few more feet!”

~I…I cannot…~ Seeker chirped weakly, placing one foot automatically in front of another as the Rythulian staggered.

As Seeker slowly continued to trudge forward the icy snow covering its body and the constant freezing temperatures combined with the furious wind began to take its toll. It could no longer feel the comforting presence of its companions’ arms around its back. 

In fact it could not feel anything at all.

Curiously the wind seemed to quiet as snow filled its vision, a sense of vertigo overtaking it.

~I…” Seeker whispered, unable to even summon the strength to speak its thought.

Rose and the Doctor continued to brace their friend against the maddening wind that tore at them.

“He’s practically frozen!” Rose cried to the Doctor. “I don’t think he can even hear us!”

Suddenly Seeker’s legs gave out, causing the Rythulian to drop to its knees.

“Seeker!” Rose yelled in alarm as she pulled at its stiff cloak. “Seeker can you hear me?!”

Without a sound Seeker’s body fell forward into the snow, unresponsive.

“Seeker!!” Rose screamed in fear as she desperately turned its body over. 

Seeker’s black face was completely dark, it’s eyes unlit and dead, the glyph on its chest no longer visible. 

“Doctor, help him!” She cried frantically.

The Doctor knelt beside Seeker, quickly looking it over before taking out his screwdriver and scanning Seeker’s body with it before looking up at her, his eyes heavy.

All he could do was shake his head.

Rose stared at him in disbelief before howling in anguish, wrapping herself around Seeker’s frozen body.

“YOU BLOODY BASTARDS!” She screamed to the sky. “DAMN YOU!”

Looking at Rose sadly he wrapped his arms around her. Turning into him, she sobbed into his coat, crying miserably.

“Why?!” She cried to him. 

The Doctor could only shake his head in silent grief. 

_ It was necessary. _ A remorseful but resolute voice echoed in their heads as the winds suddenly began to quiet.

Looking around, they saw six tall shadowy figures standing before Seeker’s body. As the winds quieted they became fully visible as the six Remnant they had spoken with throughout their journey.

“How is Seeker dying necessary?!” Rose demanded angrily, tears streaming down her face. “I thought you said he was supposed to redeem himself! How can he do that when he’s dead?!”

_ Only through the humility and courage of self-sacrifice can atonement truly be reached. _ One of the Remnant stated.  _ One That Seeks Their Destiny committed terrible deeds in the past. Only by proving that it was willing to sacrifice everything it had in order to atone for what it had done, even give its own life in exchange, would One That Seeks Their Destiny achieve what it sought. _

“But he’s still dead!” Rose protested. “How—“

_ The mountain created us. _ Another explained patiently.  _ Its power is the power of limitless creation. Just as it can create new life from itself, or create a new form for one whose soul is free, so to can it revitalize that which is dead. Here, in this place at the base of the mountain, we can not only manifest ourselves by drawing upon its power, but we can channel it as we see fit. Such is the power and responsibility we bear. _

“If you can bring back the dead so easily why can’t you bring back your world?” Rose demanded. “If the mountain created everything in the first place it can do it again!” 

_ In time our world shall be restored to its former glory.  _ One stated firmly.  _ But the time has not yet come. Others who float in the ether still await their own trials just as One That Seeks Their Destiny did. Only by experiencing what your companion has experienced in this harsh and dead world will they truly understand the meaning of sacrifice and tragic consequence. Only when all have understood this and proven their worthiness will the time be right for our world to flourish once again. For now, be at peace for One Who Seeks Their Destiny’s atonement is complete. _

_ Observe. _ They said in unison.

Suddenly Seeker’s glyph blazed to new life upon its chest. Its eyes began to glow as its body was slowly lifted into the air. From its shoulders grew a scarf of immense length as its body began to glow with white light. The Remnant turned to focus on the Doctor and Rose, their voices speaking in strident unison.

_ WHILE YOU WERE NOT BORN UPON THIS PLANET YOU HAVE AIDED AND GUIDED ONE THAT SEEKS THEIR DESTINY. YOU HAVE STOOD BY ONE THAT SEEKS THEIR DESTINY WITH FIRM RESOLUTION AND UNWAVERING COURAGE IN THE FACE OF GREAT ODDS AND TRIALS. THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY ASCENDED HAVE GIVEN YOU THEIR BLESSING AS SHOWN BY THE GLYPHS UPON YOUR BODIES. SO WE TOO SHALL GRANT YOU OUR BLESSINGS! LET YOUR OWN IDENTITIES SHINE FORTH AS OURS DO, ‘TIME HEALER WHO IS THE STORM OF JUSTICE’ AND ‘SHE-WOLF WHO HAS SEEN ETERNITY’! _

Suddenly their bodies blazed with golden light, a complex and continuous series of glyphs covering their skin completely. Rose’s body glowed like the Bad Wolf once again incarnated with the Doctor surrounded by a golden aura.

_ THUS WE SHALL CALL YOU KIN.  _ They pronounced.  _ WE HAVE OPENED YOUR EARS AND SOULS AS OUR GIFT TO YOU SO THAT YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPANION’S WORDS COMPLETELY. WE ALSO ALLOW YOU ENTRY INTO THE PARADISE RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO ARE DEEMED WORTHY.  _

_ TAKE HOLD OF YOUR FRIEND ONCE MORE AND THEY SHALL GUIDE YOU TO THE TOP. YOU HAVE OUR THANKS AND OUR ADMIRATION. GO NOW TO THE REWARD YOU HAVE EARNED.  _

The figures faded away as the Doctor and Rose took hold of Seeker’s glowing body. The Rythulian crouched while overhead the clouds spun around a large circle of light seemingly hundreds of feet above them. Suddenly Seeker took a great leap, shooting into the sky, yanking the two of them off their feet. Flying into the whirling mass of clouds at incredible speed, angry war machines flew around them before flying away, rebuffed by the powerful energy surrounding them. Finally two war machines flew alongside them, following them as they flew into the circle of light at the edge of the clouds. Bursting through them, they emerged into a clear blue sky with the sun shining brilliantly down upon them. The tops of the mountains stuck out of the misty white clouds and the split-peaked mountain stood before them, beckoning them onwards. Seeker floated between them, its body no longer glowing brilliant white. The three of them floated there, their glyphs sustaining each other’s levitation before Seeker shot forward, flying towards an outcropping of rock upon which stood a tall Oriental-styled gateway of red and white. The Doctor and Rose quickly followed it, the three of them landing on top of the rock before the gateway. 

Rose took a quick second to catch her breath before wrapping her arms around Seeker and hugging the Rythulian tightly in relief.

~Be at peace Rose.~ Seeker said gently with quiet confidence as it wrapped its cloak around her. ~I am alive and whole again thanks to the power of the Ancestors.~ It chirped, it’s voice sounding melodious and rich to her ears as it sang.

Rose smiled at the Rythulian, tears of happiness slipping down her face as she smiled. “I thought I’d lost you.”

Seeker let out a wordless burst of sound that filled her soul with comforting warmth. ~I am here.~ It stated in simple fact as the edge of its cloak brushed gently against Rose’s cheeks, wiping away the tears.

“We can understand you now.” Rose informed him.

Seeker nodded. ~I was granted such wisdom when the Ancestors restored me. I am joyful you can at last understand my expressions fully.~

Saying this, Seeker let out an enormous burst of sound that covered the entire outcropping. As the sound imprinted on her soul Rose gasped at the raw joy and love she felt coming from her companion as well as dozens of other emotions all intermixed. She could feel the relief at being restored to life by Seeker’s Ancestors, gratefulness that its hardships and trials were over and that its greatest companions stood with it, happy and carefree as well as the awe at seeing the mountain and its surroundings in all their beauty. Finally there was excitement at seeing what lay ahead of them when they finally reached the mountain’s peak.

~Come!~ Seeker urged. ~I cannot stand still a moment longer! Fly with me and rejoice for we are here!~

The Doctor grinned. “Allons-y!” He cried, running up to the cloth bridge connecting the various outcroppings of rock. Jumping onto it, the glyphs on his body flared making him fly forward. Leaning forward until he was almost horizontal with the tapestry the Doctor laughed as the carpet’s power bore him along effortlessly.

Rose grinned at Seeker. “Race you!”

~Go!~ Seeker cried in reply with both of them jumping onto the ribbon at the same time.

Laughing, the pair flew above the glowing strip, each leaping across outcroppings of rock that connected the bridges before gliding over the next strip until they came to another gateway like the first. Shooting through it and passing the Doctor they landed in a field of pure snow against the side of the mountain before sliding down an incline underneath a series of rocky overhangs. Beside them, playful carpets suddenly appeared from behind them, diving into the snow with happy chirps before flying around them and over the rocky archways overhead.

Rose laughed as the snow cooled her feet pleasantly without being uncomfortable as she slid down the embankment, the glyphs upon her body allowing her a natural grace and fluidity of movement she had never experienced. As Seeker caught up with her she grinned at it.

“I feel like I could dance and twirl without missing a step!” She exclaimed.

~You could very easily do so.~ Seeker replied happily. ~Such is the power of the glyphs.~

Saying this, Seeker slid up a natural ramp of rock into the air. Twirling as it thrust its cloak wide; it gracefully glided back down into the snow. Her eyes sparkling with excitement, Rose did the same on the next rocky ramp that appeared, the glyphs holding her aloft as she spun like a ballerina before landing nimbly on her feet and continuing her slide down the hill.

“I didn’t even get dizzy!” She cried happily.

Seeker merely sang happily, sharing her joy and amazement as the Doctor sped by them.

“Catch me if you can!” He called to them with a grin.

“Oh it’s on now!” Rose retorted with a grin. “Come on Seeker!”

~I am with you!~ Her friend replied eagerly, flying forward.

Coming to a large waterfall with large strands of ribbon attached to it, Rose and Seeker followed the Doctor as he flitted between the tapestries, flying up the high wall. As she flew through the curtain of water she felt the glyphs on her body revitalize themselves with new energy, the water itself gently cool and refreshing on her skin even as the glyphs prevented her from becoming soaked. Flying through, a large spire of rock came into view through the mists as more carpets flew by, catching up with the Doctor as he flew around the spire towards a series of floating jelly-cloths , each higher than the next forming a kind of stairway. Focusing her determination Rose flew forward at greater speed, aiming towards the jellies with Seeker on her heels. Curving around the great rock the jellies spun as she flew near them, igniting her glyphs along with theirs. More jellies passed by, warbling happily at her as she left the spire behind, angling upwards until she came to another series of tiered waterfalls, each with a massive pool at their base. 

“Come swimming with me Seeker!” Rose called over to her friend before diving into one of the overflowing pools.

Seeker quickly dove in after her, zipping through the water like a streamlined fish, unencumbered by its cloak. Rose luxuriated in the cool water, swimming about effortlessly before surfacing after a few moments with a smile, slicking her long hair back as Seeker emerged beside her.

~Swimming is a most enjoyable experience!~ Seeker informed her happily. 

Rose grinned. “So is splashing someone.” She swept her hand out, spraying Seeker’s mask with water.

The Rythulian blinked in surprise before spreading out one side of its cloak and heaving a wave of water in Rose’s direction. The girl eep’d before diving under the water, avoiding the wave before coming up again.

~You are correct.~ Seeker said in an amused tone. ~Splashing  _ is _ fun.~

“Come on you, I want to see what’s further up!” Rose said.

Activating her glyphs with barely a thought, she lifted herself out of the pool. Glancing down at her soaked clothes she was briefly grateful for Seeker’s naivety as her wet shirt clung to her chest, leaving little to the imagination. Focusing her intent, the glyphs immediately began to dry her and her clothes until they were once again warm and dry. 

Seeker flew up to her a moment later, beckoning her with a jerk of its head. Smiling they flew up a few more of the falls until they came to another gateway. Ahead of them a hammerhead dragon like the one they had met in the shrine emerged from beneath the pool, lazily flying about the pool. 

“I want to ride it!” Rose exclaimed, child-like in her enthusiasm. 

~So it shall be.~ Seeker agreed. 

Leaping over the great pool they landed atop the dragon’s back. It slowly took a dip under the water before flying up the face of the falls.

Taking a moment to catch her breath and admire the view around her, Rose turned to look at Seeker.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this.” Rose said to her companion. “And I’ve been a lot of places. This is beautiful.”

Seeker nodded in agreement. ~I only know of one thing more beautiful than the place we find ourselves.~

Rose looked at the Rythulian curiously. “What is it?”

~Your soul.~ Seeker replied gently.

Somewhat overcome by the simple statement, Rose embraced the cloaked figure tightly.

“You say the sweetest things!” She murmured intently. “I wish I could describe how I feel right now!”

~Sing.~ Seeker whispered to her.

Closing her eyes as they rode the dragon slowly up the falls, Rose let out a wordless chord of song. Pouring all of her joy, happiness, and love into the long single note, she sang until there was no more breath in her lungs, panting quietly.

Seeker stared at her for a long moment before speaking. ~I understand now why you cry at times of great joy when your emotions cannot be contained. My only regret is that I cannot do the same.~

“You have the most beautiful voice in the world Seeker.” Rose assured the Rythulian. “And every time you sing I can feel it in my soul. I  _ know _ how you feel.”

The dragon slowly came to the edge of the pool where more vertical ribbons floated in the gentle breeze. Smiling at Seeker she leaped into the ribbons before flying upward with Seeker next to her. Higher and higher they climbed until they reached the summit of the peak with a small round pool in its center; at the edge of the pool stood a final gate that sparkled with light. Beyond it, a bridge made of soul energy that led to the split in the mountain glowed brightly. Leaning against the gateway nonchalantly was the Doctor, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

“You two looked like you were having fun so I thought I’d go on ahead.” He said. “Are you ready for the last lap?”

Rose looked at Seeker who nodded. ~I am ready.~

Both of them took hold of one of the edges of Seeker’s cloak before walking through the gateway and flying through the stream of energy. Their bodies began to glow with brilliant golden light as they flew higher towards their final destination until finally they landed in the soft snow amidst a collection of rocks. Ahead of them stood the narrow crevasse of the mountain’s peak, the end of it filled with blinding white light. Suddenly Rose looked at Seeker’s back in confusion.

“What happened to your scarf?” She asked.

Seeker glanced at its back, noting that its scarf had vanished before shrugging. ~I no longer need it for we have arrived.~

~My soul-mates.~ Seeker chirped softly, looking at each of them. ~I am joyful beyond all expression that you are here with me at the end of our journey. Without you I would never have made it on my own and I would never have experienced so much. I cannot begin to describe my gratitude; you have given me friendship, love, hope, joy, and so much more.~

The Doctor rested a hand on Seeker’s shoulder with a kind smile. “Seeing you here, whole and happy, is what made it all worth it. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” The Doctor told Seeker.

Rose simply embraced Seeker again, planting a soft kiss on its forehead below the golden band around its head.

~Come my friends.~ Seeker requested, spreading out its cloak for them to clasp. ~The mountain awaits.~

Each taking an edge they began to walk through the shallow snow into the crevasse. Slowly the walls began to close in on them until they were forced to walk behind each other, Rose holding onto Seeker’s cloak and the Doctor gripping her shoulder gently. As they walked into the light the walls of the mountain fell away, revealing an endless white void though they were still able to walk. A moment later they vanished into the light. 

* * *

Light flared from the mountain’s peak and from within the split a light flew from it like a shooting star. Trailing golden light behind it, the ball of energy made its way through the gorges and trenches that made up the path to the foot of the mountain. Gliding through the open portal at the top of the shrine, the ball blazed briefly at the glyphs that continued to glow as it fell until it flew through the door at the bottom of the massive chamber. 

The glyphs making up the building slowly dimmed before extinguishing completely, resting until it was once again time for them to awaken.

The ball slowly made its way through the underground passageways, unconcerned about the machines that stood in silent warning; they could do nothing to harm it now. Emerging from the massive hole in the center of the abandoned city, it flew up the massive corridor lined with pillars before emerging into the desert. Flying up the long chasms with their silent archways it flew through the portcullis and beyond the factory buildings. Crossing over the bridge it made its way over the wall until it came to a blue box standing oddly out of place near the building that housed the memorial wall.

Coming to rest next to it, the orb suddenly let out a massive twin burst of energy. Two humanoid forms emerged from them and when the light faded, the Doctor and Rose stood there whole and complete. As Rose looked down at herself the glyphs on her body slowly began to sink under her skin until they disappeared completely, the Doctor’s doing the same.

“What happened to them?” She asked, looking at her hands.

~You have no need of them now and so they have retreated.~ Seeker stated. “But should you ever return to this world they will once again become a part of you and allow you the same abilities that we possess.~

“Will you come with us?” Rose asked beseeched.

~I yearn to follow after you and see the wonders of the cosmos I have glimpsed in your communes with me.~ Seeker replied. ~But my place is here. The Ancestors stated there would be others that would follow after me. I cannot help but guide them in their paths and aid them as best I can just as you did for me. But should you return one day, seek me out and you will find me.~

Bursting apart into motes, Seeker swirled around them, making their hidden glyphs blaze brightly, their souls touched by Seeker imparting a part of itself onto them before it reformed before them.

~Go now, my soul-mates. Bring light to those that have none. Remember me with fondness and love in your souls as I will remember you.~ 

Nodding silently, the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS door and slipped inside. From within the TARDIS a bright light suddenly flared, a tendril of energy streaking towards Seeker’s form. Latching on it, Seeker glowed brilliantly for several seconds before the tendril vanished.

~The TARDIS knows me now.~ Seeker explained to Rose’s confused look. ~It will forever remember me and this world. You will always be able to find this place should you need to.~

“Bye for now Seeker.” Rose said softly. “One day…”

The orb bobbed. ~One day we will meet again.~

Slipping into the TARDIS, she shut the door gently. A moment later a grinding noise filled the air as the TARDIS dematerialized, leaving Seeker alone. Floating there silently for a moment, the ascended Rythulian flew slowly over the gravestones until it came to the platform with the broken communion stone. Suddenly from up in the sky, seemingly from the depths of space a small streak of light shot towards the ground, landing on the other side of the hill atop where two small ribbons blew in the wind.

_ One that seeks their destiny comes. _ The former seeker thought to itself as a figure in a red and gold cloak crested the top of the hill. 

_ When it comes before me I will bond with it. Together we shall start a new journey… _


End file.
